An Outsider's View on Justice
by breathingcondradiction
Summary: Born and bred in a Laboratory, a young girl meets a toddler. With another life in her hands she needs to escape so that she can protect them both. But she soon finds that protecting her young friend becomes more and more challenging when being hunted for unknown reasons. Fraya realises that the only people that can help her are a team of Young Superheroes. But does she trust them?
1. Chapter 1 - Introduction

**I do not own any of the Young Justice characters. Some I have in fact created myself such as Fraya, Sadira, Jackdaw and Bolt. Please review, or don't I just thought I'd give this a shot and see where the story takes me.**

I waited silently in the dark. Crouched at the steel gate of my cage. My forehead pressed against the cool metal as I tried to convince myself to breathe evenly.

_This is it_, I thought. _Any second now_…

In the cage next to me I could hear a terrified panting, muffled by a small hand over her mouth. She was trying to be as quiet as I asked her but the task ahead was too much to muffle the fear of my young friend. I didn't blame her, I wasn't even thinking about it too closely.

I didn't have time to reach out a comforting hand through the bars of our individual prisons because at that moment the door opened.

It was time to leave.

The door at the far end of the lab groaned as it opened, the hinges straining against the thick iron panels. White, artificial light beamed in, I strained my eyes as they adjusted to its intensity. The light travelled throughout the room. Approximately thirty by forty square feet in size, filled with computers and your general lab equipment, stools and desks filling all the empty space. The light hit the glass test tubes and flasks, sending light glittering to the panelled ceiling. I used to watch them, count the diamond lights in the sky and pretending they were stars. Now, I simply ignored them, focused back to doorway. A single silhouetted figure stood there. Holding my breath I raised my hands to clench the steel bars in front of me, daring to assemble some sort of defiant expression.

"Hey!" He called his voice gravelly, cruel. I knew it well. "Get back from the gate Thirteen, you know the rules!" I didn't move, I tried to breath instead, release the tension knotted throughout my body.

The guard chuckled deeply. Slowly moving towards me, his loud footsteps echoed off the linoleum. Each step seemed like millimetres as he edged closer. _Just a bit further!_ My mind screamed.

"I know what you're doing," he crooned maliciously. "The brains are shipping you off tomorrow morning, away from your little friend – " His chin jerked to the cage next to me " – and you thought you'd make a rebellion on your last night." He was three feet away from the gate. Close, but not close enough, I gritted my teeth together. "Well, you've been here long enough to know what happens when you rebel…" He reached behind him to a small remote I knew was clipped to his belt. My stomach dropped as he pressed the red button.

At first, all you hear is a hum, a hum that you think is only in your own head, but soon you realise the sound is being emitted from the collar locked around your neck.

That's when the pain starts.

Electricity, the voltage changing for the age of each subject streamed through my body. Blurring my vision, causing my muscles to spasm agonisingly. In the back of my head I could hear a quiet sob from behind me but I could barely think past the pain. Barely. My heart sank, I'd failed. I was going to be shipped away to the facility for the older age group, away from her.

The current finally stopped, I slumped forward onto my hands and knees. I could feel the sting of the burns on my palms where the electricity surged into the metal of the cage I'd clung to. The pain was nothing though compared to the reality of my failure. My senses returned and I could hear his voice again.

He took that last step forward, but my muscles were immobile from the recent shock to move. He crouched before me, his yellowing teeth showing as his scarred face broke into a smile.

"A shame really, you were turning out beautifully." His big hand reached through the bars to grip my face so tightly that my jaw protested. "I wouldn't have minded keeping you to my –"

And that was when he realised his mistake.

On the contact my mind completely returned to me. I focused within myself as I'd been taught and fused the contact between my skin and his. His eyes widened when he realised he couldn't pull back his hand.

"Shit –"

It was at that moment that I took my first deep breath in what felt like weeks. Through that

breath I felt it. The familiar pulse of energy surging between us. I shut my eyes, images swam up from the blackness, they were murky but not unrecognisable. A young boy, playing tag with an older one… that image flickered to an argument between the two, the memories had been mute up until the younger child screamed at what I felt was his brother. The younger boy screamed a sentence that echoed in both our heads.

"Why don't you just go kill yourself, Dean!"

The image flickered to the older brother hanging from the stairs, a rope tied tightly around his neck which hung at a grotesque angle…

The memories became flashes then. Most I tried hard to forget as soon as I saw them. Many young girls crying for him to get away, but once eye contact was made they bowed to everything he said. Pills given freely once convinced, cars, homes, drinks that made him light-headed and throw him into a rage that had those poor girls covered in blood. The last image that rose was a group of men, dressed as the guard was now. Approaching him, convincing him that his 'gifts' could be used.

I gasped and broke the contact. The guard collapsed, moaning and holding his head between his palms. I swallowed down the nausea that arose from what I saw. Instead, I reached forward and grabbed the collar of his shirt so that we made eye contact.

"Let me out," my voice was hoarse from lack of use but it still seemed to have the impact desired. The guard did as I asked even though his hands shook as he typed the password into the keypad I couldn't reach. The gate that had been holding me against my will since I was born clicked open. I couldn't revel in freedom yet though as I kept stern eye contact with the guard. "Now her."

He did the same for my friend. Only four years old, she sprinted over, hugging my legs tightly. It was the first time we'd made physical contact in all the time we'd known each other. A fierce swell of emotion tightened my throat, my eyes stung as I tried to breathe. I had to ignore it though and swallow it down as I turned back to my puppet. Clearly and quietly I spoke the words I'd been practicing all week, making sure I left no detail out. This part was crucial to our escape.

"You will now take off our collars, adjust my one and place it on yourself. You will then hand me the remote for them before locking yourself into the cage I've just stepped out of. If you get any radio messages from anyone you will tell them that everything is fine, you checked us and you're now taking your break early. No one can know that we've escaped until they find you. Understood?"

The guard nodded mutely, I noticed how his expression was vacant as he took my orders. I wondered did all his victims have that same look. I shuddered at his memories once again fighting back the urge to scream or vomit. I'd thought about killing him. When seeing his memories I considered holding onto him for that bit longer. I decided against it due to the impracticality. I needed him to get us out of our cages and if he wasn't to answer the radio messages from the security office there would be squads in every corridor in seconds. I'd heard it before when others attempted escape. The impracticality was the first reason; the thought of not actually being able to kill someone was the second.

After I'd finished rhyming off my orders I locked him into the cell I'd been retained in for nine years. I finally took a moment to glance down at my little friend who was smiling up at me.

"Come on Sparks," I said hoisting her up onto my back. "Time to get out of here, I'm afraid the hard part's only beginning."

There was a small window in the door that led out into the corridor. Using a lab stool I stepped up and peeked out. I spotted four security cameras down our route to the elevator. I glanced back to the girl clinging to my neck.

"Ready Sparks? I need you to do what you did to the cameras in here to the ones out there ok?"

The girl nodded, her shaved head bobbing up and down before those intelligent blue eyes focused on the camera facing the door. The camera sparked, reminding me of how I'd first come up with her nick name before moving from left to right once more. The screen in the security room should display a clear corridor even if a bomb went off in front of it.

I opened the door then, the weight nearly to much as I heaved it open enough for us to slip through. Sparks worked her magic of the remaining cameras so that we reached the elevator without any problems or alarms blowing. Once inside I pressed the 'G' button quickly. After memorising the maps on the walls long ago I knew the easiest way out. A simple back door used for laundry shoots. The elevator 'dinged' making us both jump. As the doors opened I turned to my little friend again.

"Now Sparks I want you to make sure that all the cameras we see can't see us from now on. I won't need to ask you ok?" She nodded. "Good girl, we're nearly out of here."

The building was huge. Even the maps didn't prepare me for the lengths of the corridors or the amounts of turns. I kept rhyming off the directions in my head though. I was confident that I could get us there. All the while Sparks would have the cameras turning a blind eye to us and if we ever saw anyone I would immediately 'convince' them to forget they'd ever saw us. We were three quarters of the way there when the alarms went off making both of us jump in fright.

"Shit…" I whispered the word I'd learned from the guard who they must have found. I picked up the pace. "Don't worry Sparks, just keep doing what you're doing; they have no idea where we are yet. We're nearly there…"

We kept moving through the building, my heartbeat hammering in my chest as the thought of being caught pushed my muscles to move faster. The adrenaline making my new ability to work from afar as I forced them to forget us and go about their business. We were racing through the final corridor; I could see the door to the laundry room when I spotted her. One of the scientists racing ahead of me to the control panel. She had obviously been filled in about my ability because she made sure not to make eye contact. She reached it way ahead of us, and began to type in the lock down code. My insides jerked; there was no time to explain to Sparks to get the doors open again. It took weeks to teach her the trick with the cameras. I could hear the distant footsteps of security behind us, they were too close. My window of escape was closing, I had no other choice but to leap the final distance towards her, clutch my hands on either side of the neck and fuse the contact.

Immediately I realised my mistake. She wasn't like the guard or me or Sparks. She was… normal. There was nothing to absorb… at least that was what I thought.

Everything slowed down; I broke away from the chaos around me as darkness swallowed us. Her memories flooded into me like a tidal wave. Usually, the memories would be faded; I'd be given only flashes. But this time was different. The memories were vivid. I could see her and her family. She was young, only in her thirties. Her husband was tall, handsome… like a prince in a fairy tale. I watched as he reached for her to place a kiss on her cheek, mesmerised by that simple act of affection. Then a child ran in, barely Sparks's age. With the fathers dark hair and his Mother's green eyes. He reached his father and was hoisted up onto his shoulders. They painted a perfect picture, the perfect family. I felt the warmth of that memory the glow of love she had for those two human beings. And then I felt it vanish into the darkness, everything she ever felt… gone in an instant.

I screamed and pulled myself free of her. My hands wrenched from her neck and she fell backwards, nearly on top of us. I heard the smack as she hit the floor. My whole body froze as I stared at her vacant expression. It was a different type of vacancy from the guard though. Her eyes and mouth open in shock, her form lay unmoving. She wasn't even breathing.

I had killed her.

The realisation had me gasping for breath. Tears swelled in my eyes but I held them back. How could I cry for someone that I had murdered for my own freedom. An innocent… she had family. What would they do now without a mother?

Something broke through my thoughts of grief. A small voice crying in my ear, a small hand on my cheek.

"Please, please!" Sparks crooned. "Please, we're nearly there! I open door!"

Somehow, the four year old brought me back to the present. My sense returned, the rushing footsteps getting closer behind us, the sound of the alarms. A few feet from us was the door which Sparks had indeed opened. And through it I could see the exit. It was then that I knew that I didn't deserve to escape this prison. Not after what I'd done but the little girl on my back was innocent. She deserved a real life and she couldn't get one on her own, not without me.

With a final glance at the lifeless form of the young scientist I darted forward once more crossing the laundry room in seconds and bursting from the exit. Luckily, security thought we'd still be inside and hadn't the time to guard it. I sprinted across the parking lot and into the trees surrounding the building. I ran far enough to be nearly clear of seeing the Laboratory. I then took Sparks off my back and placed her on the ground next to me.

"Now Sparks, I'm going to need your powers now ok?" Sparks nodded and held out her hands. I gripped them tightly in my own. "I promise it won't hurt, just relax, I'm only borrowing them for a moment."

Because I only meant to borrow and not keep the ability I didn't fuse our contact. Instead I just skimmed the surface of her mind, absorbed the barest minimum of her memories. The only image I got was of her seeing me for the first time. Pale skin from never seeing real sunlight, thin arms and legs from being fed only artificial foods, brown hair only starting to grow out from being shaved weeks back and hazel eyes that didn't know if they wanted to be brown or green. But it wasn't looking at myself that impacted me in that moment. No, it was the overflow of emotion that she feels when looking at me. The feeling of security she feels when being around me.

Right then, I vowed silently to always protect her. Even if I had just committed the unthinkable just moments before I would live my life _for her._

Blinking away the tears once more I turned away from my little friend. Instead I faced the building, feeling the whispers of every single machine inside. Focusing on all the mechanical doors I asked them to close. Every security door including the entrances to the building shut down. Not to be overwrited and opened again until we were far, far away. As a safety measure I pulled the plug on the power. They'd be in darkness like we were for a few hours. The karma seemed fitting. I then turned back to Sparks who looked exhausted after everything we'd been through. I hoisted her up onto my back once more and ran deeper into the forests, hoping to reach a road as soon as possible so we could hitch a ride. As I ran I began to allow myself to breathe in my first deep breaths of fresh air, fresh air and freedom.


	2. Chapter 2 - Ten Years Later

Ten Years Later…

"Eat them Sadira!"

"I will not, they're disgusting."

I slammed my knife down and stood up; glaring down at her from a height, hoping that she'll back down. Instead she squared her shoulders and looked defiantly up at me. Her straight, light brown hair sat at her collar bones, always falling perfectly into place no matter how she dried it. She was slight, something I now took as a fast metabolism instead of malnutrition and her blue eyes were constantly sparked with high emotion, good or bad. The horrible memories of the past all but wiped from her brain thank god. Though her strong will however was getting on my last nerve. Mixed with the hormones of being thirteen years of age and… well, let's just say this argument over string beans wasn't our first and it won't be our last.

"They're not that bad and I won't have you eating rubbish all the time," I attempted to lower my voice from a shout to seething through my teeth.

"I don't eat that much rubbish thanks to you! Look, there's way too much anyway –"

"Just _eat them!_"

"Just _make me!_"

She clapped a hand over her mouth, realising her mistake too late. I raised an eyebrow at her, unable to hide my smile.

"Fine," I shrugged, I could feel my eyes flash as we locked gazes. "Eat your string beans._ Now._"

She instantly began shovelling the green stalks into her mouth, nearly choking in her attempts to eat them quickly. Once she finished the last mouth full she sat back in her chair, crossed her arms and glowered at me.

"You know I hate it when you do that," she hissed.

"And you know I only do it when provoked. Now are you going to clean up after dinner or am I going to have to use alternative methods."

"I cannot believe you broke me out of a prison cell just to create a new one across the feckin ocean!"

I froze, the air leaving my lungs for a second. Memories resurfaced with her words making me feel ill after our meal. Taking a deep breath I picked up my plate and brought it over to the sink.

"Shit, I didn't mean that. I'm sorry F –"

I held up my hand and forced a smile on my face. I was about to reassure her when a knock echoed around our small apartment. I frowned, no one ever calls here. We don't have many friends and the neighbours kept to themselves. I glanced back at Sadira whose expression told me that she'd had the same thoughts. I walked uneasily to the door and checked the peep hole. Most of the fear left my body as I turned back to Sadira who was peeping around the corner.

"Don't worry," I said with what I hoped was a reassuring smile. "I know him; wait for me in your room unless I call you ok?"

With a nod she disappeared. I stepped outside my front door and shut it behind me. There, slouching against the wall was a young man that I'm sorry to say I knew. He was three years older than me. He had an olive complexion and dark brown hair, half of which hung slightly over his face. Matched with a leather biker jacket and a ruin tattoo up one side of his neck he made a perfect and sexy bad boy.

"Hey Babe," he said with a lob-sided grin. "Long time no see."

"What are you doing here Jackdaw?" I demanded quietly. "I told none of the clad where I lived."

"The Boss likes to keep tabs on everyone. Especially his little protégée." He winked at me. "And as for why I'm here… we have another job for you."

I glared at him, trying to keep my temper in check was difficult when he was around. "I told you and your boss that I was done. I did the minimum jobs required and now I'm finished with you and the clad."

He smiled again; he was nearly angelic looking when he did that. "You didn't think it was that easy did you? Someone with your abilities is too valuable just to 'let go'. You're not an idiot Effie."

"Get out of the building Jay before I make you."

He stood out from the wall and stepped towards deep into my personal space. I pressed back against the door yet could still see nothing around his face. His grey eyes seared into mine making my heart beat faster. "Ah come on Babe, it wasn't all bad working for the clad right?" He brought his hand up to trail lightly across my collar bone. "_We _sure made the best of it…"

The memories flashed back with his proximity. The heated kisses, the caresses late after the jobs were done. I felt my cheeks flame as I slapped his wrist away. Locking eye contact I spoke clearly into his face.

"Turn around and get out of my apartment block Jay. And when you report back to Slade, tell him he can kiss my ass."

For a second he looked like he was going to turn around. But something – another smile cracked open his lips before he leaned forward and crushed them against my own. I was so shocked I couldn't even push him away as his body pressed intimately against mine. When he pulled back he winked at me.

"Sorry Em, but my answer is going to be no." I stared speechless at his amused expression. "Glad to see these contact lenses the docs created worked. Now are you coming with me or am I going to have to get the boys and threaten the squirt living with you."

At this point my shock had sub-sided, given way to a fury in my stomach. _No one _threatens Sadira and how _dare_ the clad create technology against my powers. Bastards.

But it didn't look like I had a choice, not with an uninformed thirteen year old her room behind me.

Glaring at Jackdaw I opened the door once more. "Sparks?" I called into the small apartment. A moment later Sadira appeared, approaching us cautiously. I'd used her old nick-name. Something I hadn't done in years. She knew what it meant so when she reached us she took my hand.

As easy as breathing I absorbed her power, enough to keep it for the next few hours. Sadira stood up straight even though I knew it felt like getting a load of sleeping medication when I did this. She was staring at Jackdaw uneasily and it seemed to keep her from keeling over.

"I'll be gone for a few hours, need to help out my friend here. I'll see you later." I turned back to Jay who was watching us curiously. He said nothing though as I locked the door behind me.

"Lead on," I gestured down the stairs below. "And after we're done I will string up Slade's balls for forcing me out of retirement."

Jay stayed silent as we descended the staircase which made me uneasy. Usually, he'd chuckle at my death threats or have some sort of flirty come back – it was part of the reason I was attracted to him a year ago. But nothing came as we exited the back door where I was met with two parked black cars. Dusk was long over and only a single street light gave me the visuals of my surroundings. My stomach was in knots. Something was up; I had never been picked up by two cars to do a job. I looked to Jackdaw who glanced back at me, a sort of apologetic look on his face. He nodded towards the cars and I froze. Jay walked on into the night, not looking back as three figures got out of the first car.

I turned to run back inside only to be hit straight in the spine by a shock ball. I collapsed onto the ground my muscles shaking uncontrollably. Without looking behind me I knew who it was.

_Damn. This isn't good._

"Hey B – Bolt," I stammered. "What have I done to deserve this honour?"

"You lied to the clad deary," His nasally British accent floated from behind me. I felt my arms being hauled upwards. My feet dragged against the tarmac as two goons brought me closer to him. In his late thirties 'Bolt' as he liked to be called stood well over six feet off the ground. He was thin and gangly; everything appeared stretched including his facial features. His sharp, filed teeth showed when he gave me a grotesque smile.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

He sighed and with an eye roll clicked his fingers. The goon holding my right arm turned and kneed me in the gut. Air whooshed out of my lungs, a strangled groan escaping my lips as I tried to suck air back in.

"What I'm talking about, is the fact that you don't naturally have the power to control machinery. No, that would be your pretty friend upstairs –" I tried to surge forward at the mention of Sadira but the goons held me back. " – you see, Jackdaw's eye contacts did more than just prevent your mind pushing abilities, through them he could see powers attached to mutants and confirmed what we'd been considering for a while… you weren't born with the ability to push or machine control. Oh no, you're much more powerful than anyone realised, you are going to be Slade's perfect weapon: a –"

Before he could say it I made my move. I'd guessed pretty quickly that they'd all be wearing versions of Jay's contacts, so that left me with only one power. I focused on the two vehicles ahead of me and made them start and surge forward, knocking Bolt forward onto his hands and knees in front of me. With a small smile I kicked him as hard as I could in the face hoping to knock him out. Once that was accomplished I angled my body slightly to the left and kneed the first goon in the crotch. With a howl, he let me go giving me back my left fist to plant it in the other guys face. When he collapsed I glanced up, only to have my heart sink. Eight more goons got out of the cars; I should have locked them as I made them move earlier. There were too many to fight off, not with only Sadira's powers and two machines in range. I could hear Bolt groaning and coming back to consciousness. I'd never make it out of this fight alive.

I was just about to make a break for it when the strangest thing happened. The goons, Bolt, everyone who two seconds before had been ready to throttle me within an inch of my life zeroed in on something behind me, cursed loudly;

And ran away.

I frowned in confusion. A sense of dread was forming deep in the pit of my stomach. What would make this group of big bad assholes run away in fear?

In this city, the answer was always a bigger and worse asshole. I turned around slowly.

The last thing I saw was a shadowy figure, only half lit by the street lamp. His appearance registered immediately. But before I could scream or run he moved. The last thing I felt was the tiny sting as a dart needle pierced the skin just above my collar bone. The last thing I heard was my own voice groaning 'fuck' as my body fell in a heap on the side-walk. The last thing I thought before darkness sucked me under was:

_This is what I get for living in Gotham City._


	3. Chapter 3 - Wanted

When I woke, I was half under the impression that I was in my own bed. This blissful feeling didn't last though as consciousness took a firmer hold on me. My last waking hours filtered back to me slowly, as the unusual scent of the bed linens registered fully in my nose.

I turned over on my back, and opened my eyes. The light was dim in the room so they didn't take long to adjust. The panelling on the roof was unusual to me as well. Finally, the last few images assembled. Bolt and his men literally 'bolting' before I turned around and saw –

"Oh no." My voice cracked from sleep, horror swelled in my chest. I threw myself out of bed, my head blurring from being suddenly vertical. Once it subsided I made my way to the door and peered out into the corridor. "_Shit._"

I sprinted down the long corridor. The knowledge of where I was making me freak out a little. I followed the L. lighting the path as it twisted and turned for a good six hundred metres. When I reached the end I was panting.

I looked up and my fears were confirmed.

At the end of the corridor was an atrium. About the size of half a football field yet higher than it was wide. In the middle sat a huge computer expanding into four huge monitors, below which were hundreds of flashing buttons. Behind this computer were two huge tunnels rimmed with metal rings that turned clockwise, then anti-clockwise, electricity surged from them, creating tiny bolts of lightning every minute or so.

But it wasn't the machinery in the room that was scaring that hell out of me. It was the statues embedded into the walls that appeared to be made of rock. Statues of figures that I knew all too well from reading the newspaper, watching the news, looking into the sky every now and again. Figures that I appeared to be in the home of…

I really needed to get out of here.

But before I could even make an escape plan the weird metal tunnels started making a loud humming noise. The rings started moving faster, the lightning crackled louder and louder until the whole tunnel lit up in the whitest light I'd ever seen. I closed my eyes to get away from its intensity and when I opened them, three figures were walking towards me.

"Oh _shit!_"

"Ah," the one on the left said. He wore a red and blue suit with a white 'v' on the chest cradling a star, yet the suit was too shiny to be spandex or any other material. It was almost as if the guy were _made _of metal . "This must be the mutant you picked up off the street, old friend."

"She doesn't look like much," the one woman of the group spoke. Thick black hair cropped into a pixie cut yet her flawless chocolate complexion and high cheekbones allowed to pull the look off completely. Somehow she was able to make the clashing animal prints on her costume look classy. "Are you sure she is what you think?" She glanced at the man in the middle, the one I was most wary of.

Standing over six foot, all in black from boots to mask except for the yellow encircling the symbol on his chest and his utility belt was one of the most feared superheroes in the world to date.

I was so in over my head.

"She's everything I think she is and probably more, Vixen," Batman spoke in his trade mark gravelled tone. "Trouble is, she's a mystery. What's your name, girl?"

I swallowed, a little peeved that they were speaking as if I couldn't hear them. But I made the smart decision of keeping my mouth tightly shut while biding my time. There's no way I could escape these three without some sort of distraction.

"Fraya," I said truthfully, he wouldn't find my name on any systems anyway. "Fraya Fairburn."

Batman appeared to type my name into the inside of his arm. Suddenly the computer in the centre of the room came to life, its monitors lighting up with lists of names in neon colours.

"See?" He growled, confirming what I already knew. "Nothing on the systems. Where did you come from?"

"I don't really know." Once again a truth, but only a half-truth this time.

He glared at me from behind his mask but seemed to let this one go however as he continued the interrogation. "And what is your power?"

"I'm a mind pusher," half-truths seemed like the best chance at them not following me when I escape. "I can force people to do what I want."

"Is that why you're living in an apartment without paying rent?"

It was my turn to glare. Of course he would know something like that… he's Batman. I shrugged. "It's not like I live in a penthouse, and I pay rent the odd month, if I have the cash."

He walked towards me slowly, making me want to shrink back and hide in a corner. _Get a grip!_ I chastised internally. _Show some backbone here._ So I squared my shoulders as Sadira did when challenging an older foe (i.e. me) and looked him straight in his eyes.

"And this 'cash' you acquire," he spoke slowly and deliberately making my stomach knot. "Is it from a regular job or Slade's errands?"

At the mention of my former boss I winced, then scowled at showing him weakness. I forced my voice not to break and sound somewhat calm when answering him. "My apartment's in his territory, he sensed a mutant when I arrived so I had to pay a small loyalty fee to him." The fee being an 'if you don't I'll kill you and your little friend' kind of thing. "I worked for Slade for about eight months and then left. You witnessed the first of him bothering me in nearly a year."

"Now why don't I believe you?"

I spoke before I even thought it through. "I dunno… trust issues emitted from an unstable childhood?" My eyes widened a little, as did Batman's friends behind him. I wanted to smack my hand over my mouth but decided that showing back bone here was needed. This so called 'superhero' drugged me and brought me here against my will!

Batman looked pissed and had opened his mouth to answer when another white flash exploded from one of those damn tunnels. This time when I opened my eyes there were about six mini superheroes coming towards us. Ranging from their late teens to early twenties. I recognised a few from their side-kick days but not many. It was beginning to feel seriously claustrophobic in this atrium.

"Hey!" One of them called. Tall and lean, wearing yellow spandex with red boots and finishes. His name came and went when I remembered his ability. "A new recruit!" He disappeared in a yellow blur and reappeared in front of me, his hand held out for a hand shake. He'd even taken off his glove to be friendly.

A speedster. Perfect.

I reached out to grip his hand at the same time Batman stepped forward.

"Wally! Don't –"

But it was too late. I'd already absorbed enough to keep his power for a few hours – I'd gotten a lot quicker over the years, no pun intended. In those two seconds I let go of him and darted away picking up such a speed that I could feel the world around me blur. It was incredible, just as the speedster did I crossed the atrium in less than a second. Unbeknownst to Batman, since I'd gotten up I'd been using Sadira's powers to tell me where the exit was. This entire base was made of machinery. So with the help of super speed I was sure to make a very quick getaway.

I was nearly free, speeding down six halls and through many, many doors. I'd even forced the huge entrance to open up into a ramp leading to the outside world. I could literally _see _the light.

What I didn't see was about a thousand tiny marbles placed in my path.

I took one super sped step onto the metal balls and began skidding out of control. My arms wind milled, the whole world tilted and I fell flat on my ass.

I groaned as my coccyx throbbed. Before I could even consider standing up some sort of metal device hit my wrists and bound them tightly behind my back. The same thing happened to my ankles. I fell sideways without my hands to hold me up right. My right cheek planting painfully into the ground.

"Mother fucker…" I moaned. Black boots came into my line of sight. I couldn't see above them over his shins, what being horizontal and all.

"No need to bring my mother into this." I deep guy's voice spoke from above me. "You did this to yourself."

With that he threw, and I mean threw me over his shoulder and began carrying me back in the direction which I came. A familiar gravelly voice crackled from some sort of radio unit on my captor's suit.

"Nightwing. Did she escape?"

"Of course not. I'm well used to catching super speeds living with Kid Flash all these years."

"Fine, bring her back to the atrium. And don't touch her skin."

"Got it… Nightwing out."

"Nightwing…" I muttered. That name rang a bell… "Oh shit! Really? Being captured and _carried _by an overgrown boy wonder!?"

Could this get any more embarrassing? More to the point I can't absorb this guy he's human. Looks like I'm going to have to wait once more for an escape.

Almost like he read my thoughts Nightwing spoke up. "If you stopped trying to escape for two seconds you'll realise we're not trying to hurt you."

"I'm sorry," I bit back savagely. "But since I've come into all of your company I've been drugged, captured, tripped and nearly broken my coccyx before carried like and animal ready for slaughter. Excuse me for not feeling the love."

He simply grunted in response and kept walking. When we made it back to the atrium Nightwing threw me into a chair where I felt the glares of way too many super heroes. I sighed, wishing I could rub my temples. I was getting a migraine.

"What did you _do?_" said a voice from my left. Kid Flash sat in a chair similar to mine hosting a bottle of water and giant bag of Doritos.

"She absorbed your powers," Nightwing answered. "Similar to Parasite's abilities."

"You've been holding out on us…" Batman's male friend whose name I finally remembered was Steel spoke, chastising me.

"Look," I spoke up. Maybe the good girl tactic will work instead of getting defensive. "I don't mean to hurt anyone; I only did those jobs for Slade so that he'd leave me in peace. I have no hidden agendas, no conspiracy theories to take over or blow the world. All I want is to live my life peacefully without the intervention of goons or _any _of you lot!"

"We know that," the woman who I finally recognise as Vixen spoke up. "We haven't brought you here to throw you in jail. You're here so we can offer you protection."

"Protection? Protection against what?"

Batman strode forward. "This ad was put up on every villain page in America; every villain page means every gang leader, every goon." Clicking another button the monitors of the computers flashed once before showing a clear picture of my face, taken when I first worked for Slade and need an I.D. to present. Underneath it was two words written in bold black font.

**Wanted Alive.**

Horror washed through me.

"I need to leave," I said in a voice I didn't recognise as my own. "_Now._"

And with that started moving, only fractions of a millimetre from side to side but so fast that my whole body vibrated. My molecules moving at such a speed that I slipped through my bonds.

I was gone before the ropes hit the ground.

Focusing carefully on the ground ahead of me for and more slipping hazards I sped out of the heroes' base. In seconds I was out, Happy Harbour the signpost said. I was miles away, not a problem I'd make it back to Gotham in minutes. But would that still be too late?

I rushed forward pushing my legs so hard against the ground that my muscles protested. I ignored the pain though as only one thought was racing through my mind. They were looking for a mutant who could control machines and the first place they'd look is where Jackdaw had been told I lived.

Sadira.


	4. Chapter 4 - Saved

The journey to Gotham was unmemorable. Only the flash of a signposts registered in my mind, the ones telling me how many kilometres I had to run.

They felt more like watching a time bomb's clock counting down to Sadira's death.

I wouldn't allow myself to think that though as I pushed forward once more. I could feel the drain of retaining super speed setting into my body but I tried to ignore it. If I got us both out of this alive I'll eat five Big Macs… maybe even twelve.

Finally, after what felt like forever but couldn't have been more than a half hour I flew past the signpost welcoming me to Gotham City. After that it was merely a matter of dodging traffic. I'd specifically chosen an apartment in the suburbs to avoid unwanted attention and easy getaway if needed. I only stopped to used my key card to get into the building before I was up the six flights of stairs and ramming my fists against the front door.

"Sadira? Sadira! It's me, open the door, It's Fraya!" I thought about doing what I did to the ropes back in the base but I doubted I could get through a think door. Plus, I thought that would only scare her more seeing as she'd already triple locked it from the inside.

"Shut up!" Screamed a voice from inside. I allowed myself a brief respite from fear. She hadn't been hauled off yet. "I know it's not you! You can stop imitating her… I won't fall for it, I won't!"

"I know you wouldn't Sparks but you gotta open the door. They could be right behind me."

I heard brisk footsteps come closer to the door. I took a small step back so she could see me through the peep hole.

"Fraya?" She sounded like she was about to open the door before her confidence faltered. "H – How do I know it's really you?"

If I wasn't in such a rush I would have applauded her for not trusting me straight away. I could easily have been a shape changer. Instead I tapped my feet impatiently.

"Ask me a question, Sadira. Something only I would know."

There was a pause; I drummed my fingers against my thigh, nearly sure I heard the sound of cars squealing to a halt outside.

"Got one!" Her voice was back. "Who did you steal your first powers off?"

"Security guard, male. Probably a rapist who used to check on us in –"

The door swung open and I was suddenly in an iron grip of a hug.

"Oh my god, where have you _been?_" I've been so worried since yesterday, you do realise you were gone all night and I get that guy was hot and all but –"

"Sadira, we have to go now."

"What?"

"I promise I'll explain everything once we're a safe distance away but right now all I need you to do is –"

We both jumped as a crash exclaimed from down stairs. The bastards must have blown through the door leading into the building. That left us with enough time to climb six flights of stairs. I spun back to a terrified expression on a young girls face. I ran across the room, unlocked the window there and slid it open.

"Out onto the fire escape," I said clearly, placing my hands on her shoulders. "And onto the roof just like I showed you. I'll meet you there in less than a minute."

"What are you going to do?"

"Slow them down a bit. Go Sadira, if I'm not up there in two minutes you know what to do and where to go."

I could see the tears glistening in her eyes but she nodded and did as I asked. Once she'd disappeared from sight I began super speeding around the tiny apartment, placing everything and anything I could find in front of the door, then when I was happy it would buy us some time I started to follow Sadira out of the building. I was three quarters of the way out the window when my luck took a turn for the worst.

The assholes decided to just blow a hole through my wall.

The objects which seconds before I'd thought were going to be a form of protection suddenly came flying towards me as I red flash blasted them with my what I thought was a heavy door. They flew at me with such force, I'd barely had enough time to swing my other leg over the window frame before they hit.

And of course went through that wall as well.

Broken debris, a mixture of brick, wood and upholstery hit me square in the chest. I flew out from the building for about a metre, stalled in the air for what felt like eternity before hurtling towards the ground at very likely bone-crushing speed.

Luckily, in my descent I was able to get hold of the fire escapes ladders, as my hand gripped the rusting metal my arm took the full impact of my dead weight against gravity. There was a sickening crack, a blinding pain and I was falling again, yet this time from a more manageable height.

It still hurt though when I finally did hit the ground. The tarmac bit into every inch of skin and I felt broken glass graze my face as I rolled onto the un level road. That's what I get for living in this neighbourhood. I was too out of breath to even moan at my injuries as I lay flat on my back.

That's when Sadira rushed over to me.

"Oh my god!" She gasped, her small hands fluttering needing to help but not wanting to cause any more damage to an already bludgeoned body. "I saw the explosion, watched you fall so I came to help…"

She trailed off, I didn't even want to know how she got off the roof but it didn't matter as I then heard the sound of many footsteps approaching. Sadira helped me to my feet; once I was sure I was steady I pushed her in the opposite direction with my good arm. I'd definitely dislocated my right shoulder in the fall – probably worse but I still had another hand to use. I'll definitely need it if this was who I thought it was.

"Go," I spoke quietly, loud enough for only her to hear.

"I can't just leave you!"

"It's me they want. They don't need you; don't worry I'll heal and escape just like before and I'll meet you in one of our hide outs ok? I promise."

She nodded glumly and had started to make a steady retreat away from the scene when a familiar voice spoke up.

"Don't take another step deary," a British accent floated in the air between us. At least twenty goons flanked him, looking at us with grins on each of their ugly faces. "Unless you want your friend to hurt worse than she already is."

"He's bluffing Sadira," I called glaring at Bolt. I'd really seen far too much of him in the past few days. "They need me alive and are under strict orders not to –"

"Hurt you?" Bolts eye brows rose to meet his already receding hairline. "Gracious Fraya have you not realised that we already have? Well, I can't take the credit for all the blowing up, that was our new recruit Arsenal here." He placed a hand on the shoulder of a boy standing next to him, I could only make out that he had auburn hair. My vision was beginning to blur. Not good. "The ad said _alive _not uninjured. I'm very good at keeping people on the brink of death, you know that better than anyone and I still owe you for that kick yesterday…"

"No!" Sadira screamed and rushed to stand in front of me. I tried to shove her behind _me _but she stood her ground. "Take me instead!"

Bolt zeroed in on her, his gaze moving slowly up and down her slim frame. The hunger in his eyes made me want to spit at him. "You know what deary, I think I will. Though I think I prefer the words _as well _rather that instead."

"Leave her out of this," I growled, finally able to pull her aside. "You don't need her. I have her powers already."

"A very useful power it is though," he reached up and started stroking his long chin. "I'm sure the Boss wouldn't mind another machine wielder…"

"Touch her and I swear to you Bolt you'll be living from that moment on without one of your testicles…" I took an unsteady step forward but held his gaze. I was out of options; my final back-up was crude threats.

They didn't seem to have their usual effect though as Bolt just cackled in my face. The goons were closing in. We were going to have to fight our way out, if I could only speed Sadira out of reach –

"Even if you had fifty abilities up your sleeve you still couldn't take me and Arsenal down in your state." Bolt sneered down from his height. I could barely see him anymore as my blurred vision worsened. "I doubt you'd even be able to knock out my human friends here alone."

"Who said she was alone?" A new voice spoke up making us all turn directly to our right.

Standing less than ten feet from us was a group of people who in any other situation I would have been irritated to see.

Right then and I will never, ever admit to saying this I wanted to cry out in relief.

Batman stood in front, Vixen and Steelon either side with Nightwing and Kid flash completing the V formation.

After that, it was just a clean-up job.

Maybe it was the concussion but all I saw was a blur of bodies, a flurry of smacks followed by a series of groans as each goon fell. Even Bolt and Arsenal were put down easily. Knocked out and tied ready for the police whom I guessed were on their way. It was only then that I realised I was staring and watching them like an idiot. I was becoming more and more sure of my concussion by the more frequent acts of stupidity. I watched warily as Vixen strolled up to me. Her expression open and kind as she took me in.

If she tried to hug me I would probably throw myself out the window again.

"How are you feeling?" She asked scanning my form up and down.

"I'm fine," I muttered not wanting to meet her gaze, I hated being fussed over. Sadira decided to show up then, probably to introduce herself to the famous heroine but I grabbed her arm and dragged her out of ear shot from the others.

"_What. _In God's name. Was that?" I hissed, my temper barely contained.

"I don't understand," she answered frowning.

"That stunt you pulled, trying to play the hero? Three times. Three times I told you to run!"

"I couldn't just leave you!"

"Yes you could! And if that situation ever occurs again, which I hope it won't, you will do as I say and leave me."

"I don't know why your so pissed!" Her temper rose too. "I was only trying to look out for you!"

"No, that's my job Sadira. I look out for both of us! I always have and I always will, you can't just be throwing yourself in the cross fire like that!"

"_You _do it!"

"I told you it's my job to do it!"

"Stop treating me like a child Fraya!"

"Protecting you does not mean you're a child. Your actions tonight however just proves to me that you still are just as vulnerable and _stupid _as you were eight years ago!" I instantly regretted the words the moment I said them, but it was too late to take I it back, I bit my lip. "Look, you just don't get it –"

"No, _you _don't get it," her tone had dropped, yet it held twice the fury. "You, Fraya are not my mother. So stop acting like one!"

We stood glaring at each other for a good minute. The fight had left us once the hateful and regretted words were out. My chest stung as if she'd punched me, or maybe that was just the another injury I'd obtained when I fell.

Finally, she let out a gust of breath and stepped back. "I'm going to go and see if there's anything to salvage from the apartment to pack. I'm leaving with these guys and I really hope you won't be stubborn and join me. They're trying to help us Fraya and although you'll never admit it you know we need them." With that, she turned her back on me and strode back towards our apartment building, her head bowed and hands deep in her pockets.

How had she aged so much in two days?

Trying to swallow down the lump of emotion I decided to focus on something else. Testing my bad shoulder, I stripped of my hoody and really didn't like what I saw.

"Here," Vixen said. Great, super smotherer was back. "It's definitely dislocated, if you let me – "

"No." I side-stepped her again. But with Sadira's words fresh in my mind I added, "thanks. I – I got it."

Bracing myself I gripped my shoulder with the opposite hand, raised it accordingly and shoved downwards with all my might, the crack of it popping back in place would have been satisfying were it not for the blinding pain. I hissed, shutting my eyes tightly. Once it had subsided a little I opened them. I stared up at what had been a good home for us for the last six years. Reduced to Swiss cheese and debris in a matter of seconds. My home was destroyed, my shoulder ached, I was fighting off the drowsiness of a concussion and I was pretty sure there was either a bruise or a scrape on every inch of my body. Nothing compared to the emotional pain Sadira had just inflicted.

Above all though, I was tired of fighting with everyone, friend, foe, family. I let out a deep sigh and turned back to Vixen who appeared to be waiting for me to speak. The words were difficult to conjure and felt strange in my voice but I spoke anyway. As much as I hated to admit it, we needed help if we were going to figure out why someone wants me so badly.

"Vixen," the sincerity was there, as well as the conviction. "I would be really grateful to you all if you helped us figure this mess out."

"Of course," she spoke without hesitation. There were no 'I told you sos' or no smug looks for which I was grateful. "Go scrape some belongings together and I'll see you on the jet."

Jet? Seriously?

Shaking my head slightly I turned to follow Sadira knowing only one thing for certain in my suddenly very messed up life.

_This _was going to be hard to get used to.


	5. Chapter 5 - Trusted

I really wanted to sleep through the trip home but I wasn't allowed due to the possible concussion. At first I distracted myself with checking out the team's person air transport vehicle. The navy blue leather, the sleek silver finish to all the seats, the dull flashing lights of all machinery and gizmos kept catching my eye. Once I'd memorised the vehicle twice, I then got to listen to Kid Flash non-stop flow of chatter about every topic known to man.

"The cave might seem a pit pre-historic but seriously, it has every comfort a person could want. Beds, couches, t.v., kitchen always stocked with food."

Sadira seemed to be the only one interested in his babble, I could sense that even his other team members weren't paying attention. "So you all live there?" She asked.

"Nah, not me… I live in Central City but as your sister is already aware it doesn't take long to commute between the two places."

"Oh Emily's not my sister," Sadira said smiling.

"Oh, my bad I guess I just figured. How'd you guys meet?"

"Well, it's kind of a long story, Emily and I were born in – "

"_Sadira."_ I cut her off before she could just blab out all of our secrets. She glanced at me and I shook my head. She shrunk back in her seat, blushing at her mistake. I felt bad for her, all she's ever wanted is friends she could trust and with all these superheroes around with vows for justice and peace it was hard for her not to hope. Good thing I still had a clear head.

"You can trust us you know," Steel spoke without turning to look at me. "We're the good guys."

I stared at the back of his head for a moment before answering. "You keep telling me you're the good guys and I do appreciate it for stepping in back there but you've got to understand, I've run into many of our kind and humans all my life and not one of them were worthy of trust. I don't give it freely. It's… It's gonna take a bit longer."

"I understand." Was all he said before silence ensued once more.

"So…" I had a feeling the speedster was allergic to long periods of time without talking. "I guess we never got to be properly introduced." He held his hand out to Sadira. "I'm Kid Flash, ex-side-kick to the Flash himself."

She took his hand easily. "My name's Sadira Stark. My quiet and brooding friend is Emily Fairburn."

"Please to meet you," Kid Flash seemed to be pleased at the break-through. "I guess you already know Batman, Vixen and Steel. Sadira nodded eagerly as the famous figures inclined their heads. "And the guy in black and blue is Nightwing."

"Or Over grown Robin as Miss Fairburn put it," Nightwing said smugly making me scowl. "It does seem to have a better ring to it don't you think?"

Frowning slightly Sadira moved on. "So you guys are a team?"

The three older heroes chuckled and Nightwing and Kid Flash shook their heads frantically.

"Christ no," he said. "We're too young to be part of the Justice League yet but there wasn't enough time to assemble our team when Emily took off."

"And what's your team?"

"We're a group of side-kicks aimed at training young heroes to one day replace the Justice League when the time comes. Every now and then the best recruits are sent on missions. We call ourselves _League Beta_."

"Wow, sounds amazing."

"Glad you think so, we were maybe hoping – "

"_K.F." _Nightwing cut him off with a tone matching my own moments before.

Kid flash trailed off with a nervous laugh. Scratching his neck and glanced at me. I'd only noticed then that I'd frozen, don't think I even wanted to know the end of that sentence. "Uh… never mind. I can show you everything when we get there – "

"Which would be about now…" Batman growled from the driver's seat. Silence finally fell and I focused on the wind screen in front of us.

Mount Justice loomed ahead. Now that I could get a proper look at the mountain the imaginable size of the secret base within was mind blowing. The amount of money available to the league was infinite so I didn't doubt Kid Flash before when he said the cave had it all. As we approached I expected to enter the base through the huge door ramp I'd opened previously. Instead, we flew around to the opposite side of the mountain and headed straight towards it. Feeling as if we were going to crash Sadira gasped. I gripped her hand, remaining calm. I mean, these superheroes haven't saved the world and survived because they were stupid.

Right?

I was correct. When 'colliding' with the rocky cliff face we simply flew though it as if there was nothing there.

"Holograms," Nightwing answered my silent question. "It gives us access to the bases garage. We can hardly park the jet in the porch."

I nodded and watched as we entered the 'garage'. I had thought that the Atrium was big, this room made it look as big as my lower class apartment that got blown up.

It was approximately the size of those huge warehouses found on the outskirts of cities. In the right corner seemed to be a swimming pool but judging by the dark underwater tunnel, it was more than likely another exit for something ridiculous like a submarine. You never know with these people. As we filed out of the jet Sadira and I were barely able to retrieve our gaping jaws.

"Fucking hell…" the words escaped my mouth before I could stop them. I'd just focused of what the rest of the garage was full of. Machinery. From cars to bikes to random structures of parts and engines this place looked what I thought Bruce Wayne or Tony Stark's garage was. One of these machines probably cost the same as all the money I'd ever spent in my life.

"I know right?" Kid Flash came up beside me.

"Do you drive all of these?" I asked moving to get a closer look at one of the hummers, Sadira close behind me. She appeared too awed to speak, her slight hands touching the bonnet probably feeling the inner workings. I had an interest in vehicles but nothing compared to the girl that could make them work with a single look.

"Well, we all have a vehicle of choice. I tend not to drive seeing as I can jog faster than most, but I sometimes help the others work on them, improving them."

I was watching Sadira climb beneath the hummer for a better look when something else caught my eye.

"No way," I breathed, walking swiftly over to it. The most beautiful motorbike I'd ever seen stood before me. Black glossy finish it looked like it had been inspired by a cross between a second generation Harley and something from a futuristic planet. I swung my leg over onto the bike, feeling my pupils nearly dilated of the feel of the machine.

"Ah…" Kid Flash's voice broke into my visions of driving it. "Well, yes that bike would be – "

"Mine." I looked up and had to resist the urge to roll my eyes. Nightwing came to stand with his back against the wall. I really didn't like this guy's smug attitude. Brushing off the desperate need to ride the machine beneath me I shrugged.

"It's a nice bike," I allowed. His attitude? No. His taste in motorbikes?

"I know," his answer made me glare at him. "It took long enough to upgrade."

"How fast can it go?"

"Haven't been anywhere clear enough from traffic to test it properly, my guess two hundred and fifty."

I wanted to whistle, instead I shrugged as if that wasn't as incredible I really thought. I swung my leg over the seat once more. Once standing another wave of dizziness crashed over me. I stumbled forward a few steps before righting myself.

"I'm fine," I muttered, I could see the two boys reaching out to take my arm or something ridiculous like that. "I can walk all by myself."

"I'm surprised…" Vixen's voice came from somewhere as I resisted the urge to throw up. "With the injuries you've sustained you should have collapsed long ago."

"I'm fine," I repeated, somehow though it came out of my mouth as a question. The amazing vehicles around me seemed to be moving slightly. I shook my head in attempt to clear it but that only made things worse. I didn't resist the hand on my good arm this time.

"She looks like she's going to hurl," someone said.

"Well, move her away from the bike." I took a good guess who that was.

I was walking, well leaning heavily on someone and moving forward. I may have blacked out because when I felt conscious again I was shaking a little. I was also sitting in a seat, but I didn't remember sitting. Vixen came in view, crouching before me.

"Emily," her voice sounded muted, like my head was trapped inside a giant bubble. "Your concussion was worse than we thought ok, we need you absorb one of our friend's abilities." Another face came into view, one I didn't recognise. At least I didn't think I did, he had very familiar blue eyes and dark hair. I frowned, looked back at Vixen whose brown eyes burned fiercely into my own. I remember thinking the gold flecks in them reminded me of a lioness.

"Emily," her voice had an urgency to it that was a little worrying. "You've got to absorb them _now._ If you have another seizure I don't think we'll be able to do anything."

My hearing zoned in on something else. Someone was crying nearby, worse still I knew that crying. I glanced up to see Sadira huddled against Kid Flash, his eyes usually full of laughter were turned grave.

_If you have another seizure…_

It dawned on me that I'd probably seized in front of them all inside that huge warehouse. I'd seen humans have them before, the shaking, frothing at the mouth like a crazed beast. It was horrible watching a stranger go through it, let alone someone you know and Sadira had witnessed it. I glanced back to Vixen.

"_Trust us._" Her voice begged. Sadira's sobs still echoing in my ears.

So I took the strangely familiar boy's hand. Not knowing what or who he was our touch connected. Blackness rose and I found myself in his head.

It was strange, usually when this happened I would receive early childhood memories, memories long forgotten or buried by those who never want them remembered. With this mutant I got flashes but I had the strangest feeling they weren't actually his.

A woman, seen through black-rimmed glasses, her eyes full of constant whit and wisdom. Colours flashed, red and blue before a symbol blazing yellow only too well known to even contemplate before nothing… a span of total blackness where he felt nothing, did nothing. Until he opened his eyes to –

I jumped up, snatching my hand back as if he'd burned me. The chair hit the ground with a loud clatter. I stared at the boy in front of me, realising why I'd thought he was familiar.

_He couldn't be… _I thought trying to make sense of it. _He's too young…_

"Who the hell are you?" Came out of my mouth instead. Everyone seemed to breathe out a small sigh of relief before I was side tackled by the fourteen year old.

"One of these days," she said with her voice still thick with tears. "Your stubbornness is going to actually kill you." I nodded, patting her back while attempting to shake off the memories I'd just witnessed. Something really wasn't adding up. "What did you see?" She whispered frowning. I shushed her.

"Well?" I pushed my gaze meeting the boy's once more.

"Superboy," he said sheepishly. "But I prefer Conner Kent."

It was my turn for a relieved sigh. That didn't explain everything, but I understood the connection with the yellow 'S' I'd seen thankfully.

"Oh…" Only then did I notice the lack of pain everywhere. Cautiously, I rolled my once dislocated shoulder, checked my face and arms without their cuts and bruises. With them, the head ache _and_ all the dizziness gone I really couldn't help giving him a small smile. "Well, Conner, It's awesome being you."

Someone laughed, I didn't see who. I gripped Conner's arms and pulled him on his feet, this being as easy as lifting an apple. Super strength is awesome. The poor guy swayed a little before I balanced him.

"Easy," I said slowly. "That's some amount of power you just handed me. Take's a lot out of you."

"It's not what I expected that's for sure…" He said gripping his head. "Not that there was much time to think it through."

I glanced back to Vixen who seemed more than relieved, she took my latest absorption as a symbol of trust. But was it? I glanced around the room at these heroes who seemed to have been repeatedly saving my ass over the last two days. But did I really trust them already?

Suddenly, I wasn't too sure.

"No." I agreed with Conner. Absorbing his powers seemed to be at the heart of me doubting myself. "There really wasn't time to think things through."

Batman decided to approach us then. "How are you feeling?"

"Great," I said honestly. "Like I could punch through walls or lift a car over my head."

"Good. Follow me."

This man wasn't known for his subtleties and seeing as I kind of owed him I didn't argue, just did as he asked.

I mean come on, he is Batman.


	6. Chapter 6 - Recruited

The whole group left with us and were soon sitting themselves down in what seemed to be a conference room. Taking their lead I sat in one of the rotating chairs, pulling Sadira down beside me. A moment later we were joined by two more younger, female heroes. I guessed they were Nightwing and Kid flashes other team mates. The girl had sort of a jester themed costume with geometric diamond patterns, her hair was a blazing auburn I was immediately jealous of, yet by the scowl on her face I guessed she was probably was an A class bitch. Harsh observation but I doubted it was false. The second girl I immediately recognised. Not that I'd actually seen her before but going by her attire she was one of Wonder Woman's protégées. The silver armlets and silver, gold and red outfit were more than enough to give me this idea. As she sat down I eyed a single blonde hair escaping what must be a black wig.

"So," Batman hushed the entire table with that one word. "Emily, Sadira, this is the rest of League Beta. Card Queen – " he inclined his head towards the jester who simply raised an eyebrow at me – "And Wonder girl." On making eye contact with her she smiled and waved, in attempt to not cause her any embarrassment I smiled back and tugged one of my own hairs in the same place as hers. Thinking she'd simply tuck it in before Batman saw.

Her reaction wasn't exactly what I expected.

"Oh _balls!_" She exclaimed so loudly everyone jumped. I snorted quietly. I already liked her. She pulled off the wig furiously and slammed it so hard on the table that it shook. "I don't think I'll ever be able to get this secret identity thing right!"

"Maybe if you learn to put a wig one right Cass," Card Queen hinted dryly. "Or, I dunno _not _rip it off in front of everyone?"

The girls cheeks flamed, making me pity her a little. I can't stand bullies.

"The blonde hair is definitely an indication," I spoke up before being able to stop myself. "But you giving us, I dunno, her name was probably more useful."

Card Queen glared at me, her eyes flashed… purple? As some of the others snorted.

Vixen cleared her throat. "Enough. We're here to discuss the interest the villains have taken in Emily and how we can stop them from harassing her so she can have a comfortable, normal life, right?"

I nodded, comfortable and normal sounded nothing more than blissful right now.

"It has to be her absorption abilities," Wondergirl spoke first. "Why else would they want her, I mean, it's a seriously powerful ability to be able to have any power you want right?"

"That would be the obvious one," Steel answered. "But it really doesn't make any sense. There are already villains out there easily bought with very similar abilities such as Parasite and Leech. They wouldn't go to this much trouble if it was just her powers."

"Do you ever think," Card Queen spoke up once more. "That she's been holding out on you?"

I really didn't like her.

All eyes focused on me making me shuffle uncomfortable in my seat.

"What do you mean?" I asked trying to dodge questions with ignorance.

"She means," damn, it had to be Batman. "We don't know enough about you to actually have a chance at figuring out what they want from you. I can't just pull out your file because you haven't got one. To the world neither of you exist."

I glared at the metal table in front of me, refusing blatantly to meet any of their gazes.

"Come on Emily," Vixen said properly. "What is it going to take for you to open up?"

A hand touched my leg. I looked at Sadira who nodded encouragingly.

"Their right Em," she said smiling. "How can they help us if they have no idea what to look for? And if we can't trust this lot who can we trust?"

No one would have been my answer to that but I knew it would have hurt her. The only thing she's ever wanted is friends and allies who she could trust and seeing this lot has given her so much hope it would probably crush her if they turned against us. I glanced around once more, honestly, she was right. These are probably the only people in the world, the known galaxy in fact that I should be able to spill my guts. They risk their lives for ordinary people every day without complaining.

I sighed, feeling as if I was about to jump off a very high, very dangerous cliff.

"Fine…" I muttered and Sadira gave me such a big smile that it tugged my chest. If these heroes crushed her I vowed to make them pay. "Sadira and I were born in a Laboratory. We have no idea who our parents are because that never mattered to the scientists there. We were test tube babies, our heritage chosen by genetics and are still nameless and unknown to both of us.

I obviously don't know where I was born, or where they'd keep us as new borns, my first memory was when I was three years old, the first day they took me to testing."

Everyone sat in total silence, a silence that felt like it was smothering me. I could feel Sadira's very still frame next to me. Even she had never heard these words leave my mouth. I felt myself hold her hand tighter as I continued.

"They were breeding mutants. Every day they would take us for physical testing for an hour where they'd coax us to use our abilities for water and food. Afterwards we'd be drugged and handed over to the neuroscientists. I could see them doing it on the way into training rooms. There, they would feed us information on the outside world. I'd always woken up with new knowledge, a language, geography, anything and everything artificially taught to us while sleeping.

"For ten years I was held in a Laboratory, in a cage by myself. That was until they carried in Sadira." I squeezed her hand when I said her name. "She was only three years old, the age they start testing. I remember the guard mutants who carried her in said that they were running out of rooms to place us and putting two older mutants together could lead to escape plans forming.

What they didn't realise was that Sadira was much smarter than any kids her age, she mastered her powers within six months without letting the brains know."

"Only because you told me to," Sadira interjected, her face warming.

"I guess, but it was because of you I formed an escape plan. You see, at twelve years of age we were taken out of that facility and moved to an adult one. I knew that once I left Sadira would live like an animal in captivity her whole life, over our ten months together I'd gotten … attached. So when I'd just turned eleven, I knew I didn't have very long to do something."

"So you escaped?" Nightwing asked. "Just like that?"

I glared at him. "No, not 'just like that'. We didn't have any powers outside the testing rooms. They gave us collars specifically created for our individual powers."

"So how'd you get out?"

"You see, during the time I was by myself I wasn't showing any progress at forming super human abilities. I was too young to know anything but hear them get frustrated when I couldn't do anything useful like transport or telekinesis. Not fully understanding my power, I would be in line for the testing with another mutant. A fire maker named Fourteen."

"Fourteen?" Kid Flash asked confused.

"We weren't given names. Numbers instead. Sadira was thirty four and I was Thirteen."

"Unlucky eh?" He grinned.

"You don't know the half of it. Anyway, being barely five years old I didn't understand anything but the fact that the brains wanted me to have a power. So I would borrow Fourteen's every day after his physical. They were satisfied then. When I got older I chose not to tell them my true power, they rarely gave us physical tests after we turn seven, that's when mainly blood and endurance tests start."

I felt some of them shudder. "When it came to breaking out my collar only stopped a fire making ability, which I lost over time anyway. So basically I created enough of a disturbance to get our nightly guard close enough, absorbed his power and with the help of little Sadira got away."

"What power did he have?" Vixen asked, they all seemed a little stunned by my story.

"Mind pushing."

"You told us you still had that power, how come you lose some abilities yet have held on to that one for so long?"

"It all depends on how much I absorb, how long I connect with the mutant. If I hold on for long enough I can keep the ability indefinitely. Usually though I only borrow them for a few hours at a time. When Slade ordered me to do his jobs for him I'd take Sadira's gifts for a while before they wore off."

They all gaped at me, even Queen of Card's look was gratifying.

"And how does your power work exactly?" Steel woke up the quickest. "You obviously need physical contact with the mutant and then what happens."

"I literally just absorb," I wanted to just stop there but I got a stern look from Sadira and sighed once more. "Alright, well I absorb more than their abilities. I absorb their memories as well."

They looked taken back again. Superboy looked almost panicked. "What do you mean?" He demanded.

"I mean that our powers are connected to our emotions and our emotions are so wrapped up in our memories that my power can't separate them. So I absorb them both and the more power I take the more memories I get landed with."

"What memories of mine did you see?"

I shuffled uncomfortably. "Yours weren't very lucid… they didn't really make any sense?"

"Tell us," he demanded firmly.

"Alright, I didn't get much because I didn't mean to take your abilities for very long but what I did get didn't seem… I mean I don't think they were yours."

"They weren't my memories?"

"Well, that's how it felt to me. Your emotions were bonded to them sure but not attatched. I saw flashes of blue and red, your super-symbol and a woman."

"A woman? Who?"

"I don't know, she had dark brown hair, looked like she was in her early thirties…" I closed my eyes and summoned the image of her, trying to get every detail for him. "She seemed to be working around a load of computers and paper… an office maybe? Ring any bells?"

He shook his head looking disappointed, Wonder Girl patted his back muttering something to him which he nodded to. At the corner of my eye I saw Batman and Vixen exchange a look.

"That memory wasn't Super boys," he growled. "It's Superman's."

"So Superman knows the woman?" It was my turn to be confused. "Why does Conner have it then?"

"I'm his clone," he stated angrily. "I've only been let out of my bio-pod five years so I've no childhood memories of my own. You must have taken the memory from Superman's DNA."

It all seemed awfully complicated to me but I decided to take their words for it. From the feeling of a dry mouth from talking for so long I knew first-hand how complicated it is to explain a mutants history.

"So it seems all arrows are pointing to that Laboratory," Nightwing spoke up. "Where did you say it was again?"

"I didn't. Because I haven't a clue where it is."

"But you escaped from it didn't you?"

"Yes, but after we got out I carried Sadira through a forest and hitchhiked to a city with an airport before conveniently 'convincing' someone to hand us a ticket to America."

"And where was this airport?"

I frowned, trying to remember. "Um… Dub something? Somewhere in Europe."

Nightwing started tapping something into his arm before a holographic map of the world appeared before us.

"Do you remember how long the flight was even?"

I thought about it for a moment. "Uh… eight hours maybe? Seven?" It felt so long ago that my brain hurt trying to remember.

"Does Dub_lin_ sound right to you?"

"Yeah!" The memory snapped back into place. "Dublin airport." The guy was good I'll give him that.

"Right it's the capital city of a small country called Ireland, just beside the U.K." Nightwing informed the group, reading the information off his arm. Making the holographic map bigger he highlighted the island. Across the Atlantic sea Ireland lay at as a far westerly point of Europe. Nightwing wasn't exaggerating when he meant small though.

"Great," I said chirpily. "So we search the island and – "

"You make that sound easy," Nightwing said. His cocky attitude was really beginning to grate on me. Gritting my teeth I met his gaze.

"Well, it is a small place… We could have been landed with Russia."

"Even if it was the size of Happy Harbour we'd still have trouble. We've come across Labs like these before, Superboy was found in one. They're mostly underground and the building above it could be anything. We need more information if we're ever going to find it."

"Well I don't have anymore!" My temper snapping. "I was eleven years old, terrified that if they caught us she'd be shot on the spot and since the moment I knew I'd gotten her out of there I've been trying _very _hard to forget every detail of that night! And for the most part I'm glad I've succeeded."

We glared at each other then, in such a heated silence that Kid Flash felt the need to clear his throat to speak.

"That's easy then, we get someone else to remember for you."

"What?" Nightwing and I snapped in unison.

"Martian Manhunter!"

"Of course," Batman nodded making Kid Flash look pleased with himself. "Manhunter can access the memories trapped deep inside your subconscious tell us giving us a trail to follow directly to that Lab."

"Seems simple enough," Card Queen shrugged lightly.

"That's why I'm getting League Beta to take over from here."

League Beta nodded, seeming to be well up for the mission.

"Hey wait a second," I said frowning, my voice seemed to break up their planning. "I'm going too!"

"Don't be stupid," Nightwing said. Not hitting him was starting to become a task in itself. "You'll only slow us down."

"Excuse you Mr. 'I think I'm so great because I've gone through puberty and switched my tights for latex', this is not my first mission and part of your master plans involves someone rooting in _my _head. Plus, I deserve to know the reason behind people coming after me and beating me up!"

"That's my point! People keep beating you up because you're not trained!"

"That's settled then," it was only when Batman cut into our argument that I realised we had stood up to yell across the table at each other. I sat down slowly crossing my arms over my chest.

"What's settled?"

"You'll train here with us for the time being."

"What?" Nightwing and I spoke in unison, again.

"I just made contact with the league. Martian Manhunter is on a mission off Earth and won't be able to make back here for the time being. You can live and train with the team until he arrives so that you will be prepared for the mission."

"But Batman – " Nightwing tried to argue but well, he's Batman.

"That's my final decision, do the rest of the Justice League agree?" Steel and Vixen nodded. Vixen once again looked nearly too happy with how things worked out. "Good. Wonder Girl, show Emily and Sadira to their rooms."

I stood up a little dazed. Quite unsure with what had just happened. As I followed Wonder Girl down the halls I could barely get my head around the recent turn things had taken.

Had I just… joined League Beta?

"Here are your rooms!" Wonder Girl's voice broke through my thoughts. She was smiling at me. "I thought you'd guys like connecting rooms. Card Queen and I are just across the hall if you need anything, the boys are in the west wing."

Sadira, obviously not being able to stand it any longer gave a chirpy good bye and raced to check out her new bedroom. I turned back to the young blonde.

"Thanks," I said sincerely. "I appreciate it Wonder Girl."

"Oh! Call me Cassie. Cassie Sandsmark, as you've probably noticed I'm really not into the whole secret identity thing."

"Right. Well, thanks Cassie."

With a smile and a wave she turned to go but obviously remembering something she stopped.

"Oh! And Nightwing told me to tell you to meet him in the gym seven am sharp."

I snorted. "Why the hell would I ever do that?"

She laughed then. "To start your training silly! Nightwing trains all of us! I mean, he was trained by Batman."

She left then leaving me gaping into space. I couldn't believe it, the one person that I intended to ignore for the duration of my stay gets to beat me up twice daily and call it 'training'.

"Fuck." I groaned and slammed the door to my new room behind me. As bad as today was tomorrow's going to be a hell of a lot worse.


	7. Chapter 7 - Trained

Once again, I half forgot where I was when my alarm went off. I tried to tell myself that the confusion was the reason behind the 'snooze' button being pushed half a dozen times. But honestly, a sleep full of night terrors never is a good one and did I mention it was _six am?_

Realisation dawned half an hour later that I actually did have training with the Ass-wing in thirty minutes so with a groaned curse I pulled myself out of bed. When I stepped outside to make a bathroom trip I nearly fell over a bundle of folded clothes. I picked up the note attached to it.

_Training clothes. Wear them._

From the demanding words lacking in manners I knew exactly who they were from. I looked at them as I walked back inside. They weren't bad looking actually, cotton white tank top with navy nylon three quarter length trousers. Not that it mattered, I was putting my foot down and making a stand if this place was to be called home for the next few weeks. I had given myself fifteen minutes to reach the so-called 'gym' when things began to go wrong.

I got lost.

I mean, the place was _huge_. There were so many corridors each winding to random places and not a single sign post _anywhere_. I walked into dorms, bathrooms, showers weight rooms, dead ends. I wanted to cry out in relief when I found a set of double doors labelled 'Cinadome' loomed before me. I sprinted towards and through them before have to stop and gape at my jaw flopped open.

The Cinadome was beyond incredible. Approximately the size of two professional outdoor soccer pitches side by side, and the height of one also. Of course it was 'Dome' shaped, the curved walls covered in light grey panels. Rows of stands stood on either side of the entrance and the ground was covered in a layer of fine sand, yet, when I tapped my food on it, the sound almost seemed hollow hinting there may something underneath it..

"You're late."

The voice echoed across the room from a dark figure in the centre. I wanted to groan. Nightwing's voice seemed neutral but I could just make out the underlying anger, simmering below the surface. He was pissed but I didn't let it phase me. Instead, I squared my shoulders and approached him confidently, meet his steely gaze with one of my own. I would not be bullied by this ass hole.

"I got here as soon as I could," I said, setting my chin. "I just - "

"I don't care about your excuse, you will not arrive late to a training session again."

My eyes widened. Jesus he was a prick.

"Look, I was told the 'Cinadome' not where it actually was. I count myself lucky I even got here at this time and am not still roaming the maze of corridors here!"

He seemed to ignore this statement. "And you're not wearing your training gear."

I glanced down at my jeans and t-shirt. "Yeah, I didn't appreciate the unfair advantage you guys get."

"What do you mean?"

"How come all you get spandex and I don't?" My attempt at humour didn't even crack a smile, if anything it made him angrier. "That was a joke," I added hastily. "If you asked me to wear spandex I'd probably tell you to hand me over to the bad guys now."

"Well, maybe we should seeing as you're not going to last here anyway."

It was my turn to glare. I'd had enough of his condescending attitude. "Hey, what the fuck's you're problem?" I spoke close enough to a shout

"You are." His voice was even. "I don't _want _to be giving up my free time to teach you the basics in fighting. If it were up to me you wouldn't be getting this special treatment, you'd be sitting and staying in the base while _we _the _trained_ heroes fly across the Atlantic. You're only going to end up getting one of us or yourself killed in the process."

My temper spiked, I would not be pushed around. Nor would I stay here while others route around in _my _past. Having this... twat tell me what I can or cannot do made me fight the urge to spit at him.

"You heard Batman," I seethed taking a step closer to my so-called 'instructor' "I will be joining you and your mini Justice League to find out why I'm wanted by every villain in the country and as I wait for my flight I'll be learning your methods of fighting with or without your help. So if you don't think you can handle catching me up on the basics, leave! I'll probably do better on my own anyway. You should go..." my eyes ran up and down his frame before locking at his perfectly mussed locks. "Go do your hair or something."

His expression flashed from fury to incredulity in rapid succession but I didn't flinch or look away from the sapphire fire in his eyes. Finally, in such speed that Nightwing's limbs blurred he whipped an object from behind his back. It took every ounce of practice with quick reflexes to prevent the thing hitting me square in the chest. His eyebrows quirked up at my own speed. I looked down at what lay in my palms.

"A stick?" I asked, a little weary. Was all my bravado put up just so that I could swing a long pole around.

A smile – yes, I repeat – an actual smile played at the corner of his lips. Oh shit.

"Lesson one," he pulled another 'stick' from behind him and took a step forward. "How to duck."

"Fucking bastard..." I cursed in a low groan.

"I cannot _believe _he got this many hits on you. Didn't you train with and beat some of Slade's better combat – "

"Yes."

"But?"

I sat on top of the sink while Sadira filled the bathtub with ice. I stared into the mirror at my newly blackened skin, only beginning to heal after my first 'training session' with my new 'mentor'. The bruises would heal quickly enough. All mutants had quick healing abilities from minor injuries. It was the strain which my unfit muscles went through over the last hour and a half that needed the ice. I was stripped down into my bra and knickers, the jeans I'd chosen to wear had to be cut off due to swelling. The bastard was right in giving me training gear.

"But sadly, he was definitely trained by Batman."

"He's good then?"

I groaned again in response, trying to roll my muscles in spasm. Glowering at the ice cube baths I slipped off the sink and walked slowly over to it. Knowing that getting into that frozen hell slowly would make me lose my nerve, I lowered myself into it quickly, taking short deep breaths and thinking of warm places.

It was so cold it burned my skin. The relief of calming my strained muscles wasn't enough to balance the drastic and painful change in temperatures. I let out a string of passionate language in all the tongues I knew.

Sadira whistled. "I thought we weren't allowed to curse," she said innocently.

"For some situations," I panted out the words, trying to focus on something other than the cold. "There are exceptions to that rule,"

Sadira stared into my face for a minute, frowning lightly before her full lips stretched into a wide grin. I glared back.

"What's so funny?"

"It's just..." a giggle escaped from her throat. "You know the way you're in pain now?"

"I'm sitting in a bath of what feels like deep freeze in attempt to not feel my aching and spasming muscles. Of course I know the way I'm in pain!"

My snapping didn't faze her... or in fact flatten the giggles. "Well just think... you're now going to have to go through all that strain again tomorrow, except this time you'll already be hurting to begin with." She laughed outright as I imagined throwing this whole tub of ice over her head.

"Shut up," was all I said before dunking my head under the zero degrees waters, maybe if I drown I won't have train again tomorrow.

The answer to that was no.

"I'm going to throw up!" I gasped, hunching forward, a last attempt to ease my rolling stomach. I had been running – no, sprinting for the better part of the last three hours and it was only nine am. The others only would be only just getting out of bed. My sides cramped, every muscle in my overworked body ached with such a strong throbbing I was one metre away from collapsing.

"Throwing up is good, it means that your body has reached its capacity to exercise itself, now that we know where that barrier is we can push through it. It's the quickest way to making a body stronger."

"No... that's a way to make someone collapse!" I yelled back at the kid mentor. He was totally relaxed, lounging in one of the spectators seats reading a novel I couldn't see the title of. The anger towards him mixed with my nausia, I tried to inhale deeply. I glanced at my watch, two minutes to nine. He'd have to let me go now soon, Vixen wanted a debriefing at half past.

I looked up from my wrist to see him standing in front of me. _Dam... _I thought sourly, _how the hell did he do that?_

"Late for something are we Curly?"

I glared at him. "Yeah, we have a meeting in half an hour remember? And if you want to 'push my bodies limits' tomorrow, I'll need a hot shower and ice. Though I'd love to stay here longer and have you watch me _run _Commander Nightwing."

Safe to say he didn't appreciate the 'Commander' comment.

"Ten more laps."

I gaped at him. "You're kidding right?"

"Make it fifteen."

"The meeting's in half an hour!"

"Should of thought of that before you disrespected your trainer."

"For your information, I disrespect everyone, and everyone includes a self-assured, pompous dickhead who's idea of teaching combat is running exercises!"

Then I turned my heel and started sprinting once more around the arena. Feeling Nightwing's stare burn holes into my back. I just prayed I'd finish quickly and have time for a shower before half nine, and that he'd leave me alone so that we could both have a few hours to cool down before I saw him again.

I half walked half limped to the consult room. It wasn't far from the dome but it may as well have been miles to my battered body. Before reaching the door Vixen strolled easily up beside me. I was nearly too jealous by her lack of pain to talk to her.

"Ouch." She said grinning. "You look a bit worse for wear. Should I ask how your first few days of training went?"

"Oh great," I leaked as much sarcasm as I possibly could into my tone. "Running laps non-stop for three hours _and _getting beaten up with a wooden pole? I just count myself the luckiest gal in the whole world!"

"Running – " she frowned looking confused. Just then Nightwing turned the corner. "Excuse me," she murmured and began striding towards him. After only a few words it was clear they were arguing.

Wonder Girl and Superboy approached me then with small smiles on their faces.

"Hey Fraya," Cassie said cheerfully. "Conner and I were just talking about – "

"Sorry Cassie ." I cut across her. "It'll have to wait for a few seconds. Uh… Conner would you mind telling me what those two are saying?"

He glanced over to them and frowned. "Uh… I'm not sure I can – "

"_Please?_ It's about my training."

With a sigh he turned his ear the Vixen and Nightwing, his eyes seemed to glaze over as he activated his super hearing. After about thirty seconds of listening he filled me in.

What he told me had me striding towards them sore muscles be damned.

"You're training me like Batman trained _you?_" I nearly roared in Nightwing's face. He gave both Vixen and I a weary glance before not meeting my gaze. "You mean to tell me everyone else has never had to go through this?"

"You've been half-trained already," was his only comeback. "Not very well, but enough that you won't benefit from the same training exercises as the others. They all had to learn from scratch."

"But Conner said that the difference between Batman's training and theirs was ten times more intense."

"Yes, so?"

"I thought you wanted me to learn the basics! We only have a few weeks!"

"Don't you want to be one of the best hand to hand combat fighters in the country?" he threw the question at me.

"I don't _care!_ I want to get this job done and then leave. Not try to do the impossible in a couple of weeks!"

"It's not impossible, I did it."

"You've been with Batman since you were what age? Thirteen? Younger? I can't believe this… you there yelling at me this morning that I shouldn't be getting special treatment…"

"Look," he turned to Vixen who had been watching us studiously but remaining silent, he had obviously decided not to look at me during these next sentences. "I've been with her only two days and so far she's pushed beyond every stamina and strength bar I've put against her. She's tired and in pain _now _but in less than three weeks I know she'll be more than capable of taking any of the others on."

I'd frozen in more than a little shock, although I did hate been spoken about as if I weren't standing right there with them it actually was the kindest words he's spoken to or about me. In my life you tend not to interrupt when things like this happen.

"It's wasteful not to use this opportunity and you'd be grateful for the extra skills if you ever run into situations like this again." He'd finally met my furious gaze again. We stared each other down for a minute as I let the words sink in. I looked at Vixen who unfolded her arms in a gesture that said 'It's totally up to you'.

"Fine…" I growled, feeling as if I was going to seriously regret this later. "Fine! I'll do it but so help me Nightwing if I need crutches to walk tomorrow you can fuck off with your idea of 'special treatment.'"

"I'll see you at six pm sharp for today's second session."

"Yeah, yeah… I cannot wait until I'm trained so someone can finally kick _your _ass."

Something, I think it could have been an actual smile broke through his usually schooled features.

"We'll see," was all he said though as he walked past us quickly to the consult room.

I, on the other hand returned to my hobbling knowing that the next few weeks would be filled with pain and more pain.


	8. Chapter 8 - Socialised

"Only you would become more boring after joining a League of superheroes."

I was lying on my bed only barely listening to Sadira talking to me through the open door to her room. It was late evening meaning I'd just gotten through yet _another _two of Nightwing's training sessions and _another_ ice bath. Today we'd been doing our first day of sparring. Translation: being slammed repeatedly into the ground on my ass and a huge number of bruises over my ribs and lower abdomen.

"What do you mean?" My question was muffled by my arm which I'd thrown over my face in attempt to keep the light from piercing my eyelids.

"Look at you! All you've done since arriving here is eat, train and sleep. It's only eight o'clock now, you should be downstairs in the common room getting to know the others."

"Why? I see them at consults."

"Because they're your teammates, at least temporarily. It's a known fact that teams work better together when they've gotten to know each other. You're gonna need all the help you can get when trying to dig up – "

"If I go and chat for an hour will you shut up and let me sleep?"

"Of course."

"Lead on."

The 'common room' to which Sadira had referred to was the only understated room I'd come across in H.Q. A simple marble fireplace sat against the end wall with a plasma T.V. hung above it. It was surrounded by brown leather recliner couches and a woollen rug. There was a large audio set and racks of CDs against the left wall and shelves full of magazines and books on the right. A door in the far corner seemed to lead into the kitchen from the opposite side I was used to. The walls were covered in band posters and pictures of the group in all parts of the world.

For some reason being there gave me a stomach cramp.

The team were all sitting in the sofas, Superboy and Kid Flash were playing a cards while Nightwing sat in the corner reading the same novel he was when watching me sprint laps last week. Card Queen was channel surfing and Wonder Girl was flicking idly through a magazine not appearing to be looking at the pages. She was the first to jump up when Sadira announced our entrance.

"Guess who I coaxed out of her shell?" She called. Everyone glanced up.

"Hey Fraya, so great that you could join us!" Cassie said grinning. I got a feeling she'd been quite bored up until I arrived. "Come sit down with us." Uneasily I sat beside her, I felt like a jig-saw piece being forced into the wrong part of the puzzle.

"How's the training going?" Kid Flash asked without looking up from his hand.

I glanced at Nightwing who met my gaze with a raised brow. I glowered at him as I answered.

"Great. I just love feeling like I've been massaged by a cheese-grater."

Everyone chuckled, even my bastard of a mentor who looked back down at his book.

"Don't worry," K.F. continued. "You'll soon be kicking all our asses."

"We'll see…" I repeated what Nightwing said, making him smirk at the pages.

"So," Cassie perked up again. "What are your plans for tonight, Fraya?"

"What's tonight?"

She laughed, a light, bubbly sound. It was nice to hear. I was beginning to find that most super ex-side-kicks take things far too seriously for their age.

"It's Friday night silly! Don't you ever go out on the town?"

"Oh, _please_," Sadira snorted before I could retort. "Fraya hasn't gone out in _ages_. Not since she's worked for Slade and the only reason she went then I recently found out was because of J – "

"_Sadira!_" I spoke a little frantically. Why was it this girl had no mute button when it came to private information. She simply giggled and shrugged off the other's questioning looks.

"Well if you want to come out with us your more than welcome!" Cassie said with such a kind smile that I only barely noticed the others sending her looks much like I'd send Sadira seconds before. "We go out once every-so-often to clubs in each of our home cities! You, know to release the tension."

"Thanks Cassie," I said trying to keep any sarcasm out of my voice. She was one of the only people that tried to include me in the group. "But I doubt your friends here want to attract that much attention with going out with their masks still on."

She glanced back to her friends who have still kept their secret identities from us and blushed.

"Oh yeah… sorry I totally forgot!"

"Don't worry about it. I have to be up at an ungodly hour in the morning anyway." I lowered my voice and leaned over to her. "I think Nightwing's time with Batman has made him nocturnal."

"Six am is well into the morning," Nightwing called as if he'd easily heard us.

"Not for a normal person it's not."

"But you can't stay in tonight!" Cassie looked appalled at the thought. "I mean, not with us all out! You're still part of our team even if it's only for a few months…"

"Honestly Cassie, it's fine – I'm fine. I don't mind sitting this thing out." I was seconds away from attempting to pat her on the back.

"No." Her voice took on a scary finality tone. One I was sure was going to say something I wasn't going to like. "The others can go on to Central City. I'm taking you out on the town."

I felt like groaning, I doubted my body could take a night in stilettos. "Please Cass, don't change your plans. Maybe we can work something out another night – "

"Something you should take note of newbie," Queen of Heart's snide interjection cut across my near pleading. "When Wonder Girl gets an idea into her super strong skull, just go with it because she won't change her mind."

My gaze wearily fell on the young blonde hero, she shrugged with an innocent smile that said 'she's right'. I sighed, once again wondering why I wasn't in control of anything I did in my life anymore.

"Alright, but I have nothing to wear."

"Don't worry," Cassie grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. Sadira jumped up with us, a nearly too satisfied smile on her face. "I have more than enough for both of us."

Cassie Sandsmark's room was what I figured a stereotypical teenagers room should look like. It had once been an exact replica of mine and Sadira's, but over the time she'd lived there Cassie had covered it from roof to floor in all things Wonder Girl. From Wonder Woman posters to bed linens not to mention the red, white and blue with gold fringed everything. There were random pictures of her friends and bands like The Script and Mumford and Sons placed in between the hero worshipping her – uh – hero.

After gesturing for the two of us to sit on her bed she strode over to a chest of drawers before pulling and flinging random items of clothing from them, coloured material flew through the air and soon littered the blue carpet. Sadira picked up one of the items, a royal blue halter with a cleavage slit from throat to bellybutton. Handing it to me she waggled her eyebrows. I sighed and placed it back on the floor feeling nearly frightened of what Cassie was going to pick out for me.

"Really Cassie," I tried in my last attempt to change her mind. "I really wouldn't mind having an early night tonight. You get ready yourself, have fun with the others."

"Oh come _on _Fraya!" Sadira surprisingly spoke up where I thought Cassie would. "Why don't you just shut up and go and have fun for a change?"

I gaped at the young girl beside me. Her jaw had been set angrily until I turned to her in shock. "Excuse me?"

Her bravado faltered leaving a pleading expression. "Aw please Em? You haven't been out in so long and I know it's my fault."

"What? No it's not! I never said that!"

She snorted. "You didn't have to! My whole life I've always got this feeling that you live for me. That you're not worthy to have a life of your own but you live on anyway to take care of me. You're only twenty years old! You need to start having fun! Living for yourself but all you do is sit around, doing everything that's mandatory for us, any other social gathering or extra thing that you might find enjoyable you skip out on! You distance yourself from people Fay!"

Once again it astounded me how mature she suddenly sounded, even if she used her nick-name for me created when she couldn't pronounce the letter 'r'. I gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "I've never regretted giving up a normal life to raise you," I said quietly though I knew Cassie could hear. She had paused in her outfit scavenging to listen. "I don't need to have fun as long as I know your safe and happy."

"But I'm not happy see?" She stared fiercely into my eyes and I wondered vaguely how long she'd wanted to say these words to me. "I can't be happy knowing that I'm standing in the way of you allowing yourself to live happily. How can I?"

I paused, unsure what to say. She didn't understand why I think all of this. The reason behind living the way I do, of course she didn't, she was too young to remember the appalling thing I'd done. If she did she'd understand everything. Understand why I didn't deserve a life of my own, why she made my life worth-while.

"Please?" She begged. "Would you please try? For me?"

And I would never remind her. I wouldn't hurt her like that, how could I ever consider telling Sadira that her guardian was a murderer. No, I couldn't say a word, just as I couldn't deny that little girl anything.

"I'll try," I said, giving in to something I promised myself I wouldn't a long time ago. Hurting myself I found I was hurting her, somewhere along the line she'd become perceptive. "I'll 'live a bit more' ok?"

"Thank you," She breathed smiling hugely.

"Well," Cassie broke through are moment by clearing her throat. "You'll be glad to know that I found the perfect outfit for you to wear tonight."

_Live a bit more… live a bit more… live a bit more… _I chanted to myself before turning to see what Cassie had in store for me.

"A corset?" I asked, my eyebrows raising. I wouldn't go as far as I was happy with the choice but I had pictured a much worse item.

"It'll look amazing with your curves."

I took the small piece of black velvet from her. Emphasis on the 'small' and the 'velvet'. I'd never worn anything quite like it. But I could feel Sadira's gaze like a weight on my back so with a sigh I started to shimmy into it.

"Where do you get all these clothes?" I asked as I stripped off my own t-shirt.

She shrugged and walked over to help when I needed to lace up the back . "You tend to get whatever you want when you're a daughter of a God."

I choked, not sure whether it was due to that new information or the fact that she was using her super strength to pull this god damned thing a little too tight for comfort around my body.

"_What?_" I gasped.

"Oh! My father's Zeus, god of the sky." The way she said it, you swear she'd just admitted that her Dad was a carpenter.

"So… you're what a – a god?" Sadira stammered as I attempted to inhale oxygen into my lungs.

"_Demi_-god. _Half_ god _half_ mortal." On each inflection she tightened the bodice.

"Cass – " I gasped. Too tight. Far, far_, far _too tight.

"My Mum's an Archaeologist see and during one of her escapades landed her in Greece where she met Zeus in his human form."

"Cassie…" It felt as if my ribs were being crushed against my lungs.

"Obviously being a god he had some moves because nine months later I was born, super strength and all!" I felt the blood rushing to my face. "Not that he ever bothered to tell me who he was until a year ago, or ever bothers to visit…"

"Uh… Cassie?" Sadira had obviously noticed my face slowly changing from red to purple.

For her last few sentences she'd seemed to zone out, her voice taking a darker tone. When Sadira spoke up she seemed to wake up, hands stilled on the strings choking my abdomen.

"I doubt Fraya would be up for a night out with you if she ends up suffocating…"

"What? Oh! Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" There another pull on my back before the pressure in my chest was released. I sucked in a deep painful breath before nearly choking on it.

"S'ok," I gasped. "For the record though, I really don't care that I'm not thin."

She patted my back a few times before lacing up the of the death trap again, gently this time. With a quick glance in the mirror I realised why women back in the day wore them.

"You look great!" Sadira spoke appreciatively.

I couldn't help agreeing with her. The corset gave me the ultimate hour-glass figure consisting of a tiny waste, large pushed up cleavage and slim yet voluptuous hips. Being adorned with black lace and velvet just added to the sexiness of the outfit.

Cassie seemed to thoroughly enjoy dress up the new mutant. "You can wear your jeans," She said and bounded over to a drawer beneath her bed. "With, uh, these!" pressed a pair of black heeled boots into my arms. "Now go do your make-up while I get ready!"

I was learning pretty quickly not to argue with her so without even a defeated sigh I strolled over to her vanity table. I wasn't surprised to find every expensive brand of make-up strewn across its timber surface. By the sounds of Cassie's mumbling, I'd a feeling she would be a while so I took my time applying foundation, concealer and powder. Sadira helped my choose and apply eye shadows and liner. We opted for a blend of silvers and blacks giving me a dark, mysterious demeanour complimenting my outfit I hoped. I was about to tie my hair up with the tie on my wrist when Sadira protested.

"What now?" I demanded. Hadn't I gone through with everything she's asked?

"Leave your hair down," she ordered sternly.

With a sigh I placed the tie beside the makeup and ran my fingers to waken up the day flattened ringlets. Sadira nodded appreciatively at my appearance.

"You're a little too smug for my liking Sparks," I chastised lightly.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't think that I haven't filled in the blanks with your begging me to converse in the common room on the exact night the others planned to go out, followed by the outburst an hour ago…"

"You'll thank me later," she said shrugging absently. "I'm only doing what's best for you."

"I hate it when you quote me in my face," I muttered just as Wonder Girl emerged from her en-suite.

However, she did not look like Wonder Girl anymore. Her shining blonde hair was arranged to fall in perfect waves around her shoulders, complimented by a forest green blouse that would have been tame for a club except it was paired with a high wasted black mini-skirt. The skirt hugged very inch of her lower body in a way that made me think my right thigh couldn't have squeezed into it. Paired with black stilettoes made me a relieved that I wasn't going to be stealing any male attention next to her tonight.

"Ready to go?" She asked, her perfectly coloured lips quirked at the corners.

I took a deep breath, the insanity of what I'm about to do finally starting to sink in now that I was dressed. My whole life uprooted and thrown into a league of young supers with the entire villainous community after me and I was going clubbing.

Well, here goes nothing.

"Sure." I don't think I'd ever told a bigger lie in my life.


	9. Chapter 9 - Allied

The club we went to was definitely alive. The coloured lights shining all around the room, the music making the place throb with indi and pop fusions in every corner. Most of the walls were covered in flat screens, displaying videos of the artists playing and every so often different couples dancing somewhere in the club itself.

I scanned the room uneasily, feeling as if a threat could pounce out of the crowds at an moment.

"Are you sure it's safe?" I yelled into Cassie's ear who was staring around the place as if it was wonderland. "Going to a club in Gotham?"

"Sure! I mean no one would expect you to show your face here and honestly Em, you don't look like you tonight. Only people who know you personally would recognise you."

I tried to take her encouragement to heart, but there was no untangling the knot of tension in my stomach. I was just grateful that Sadira was safe back in Happy Harbour where no one could touch her.

"Relax," Cassie called. "Everything's gonna be fine! I've got your back if anything happens!" Across the room a really handsome guy caught her eye. She waved shyly at him which made him grin and incline his head towards the bar. I sighed internally, she really wasn't making me feel any more secure. "Let's get a drink, have some fun!"

As I allowed her to push forwards towards the bar I tried to swallow the irritation of once again someone telling me to have fun. I had fun! Occasionally… ok maybe Sadira was right when she nearly let out about only going out because of Jackdaw but that still counts!

Doesn't it?

Lost in thought, I pulled myself up onto one of the bar stools and beckoned the bar man over. Liking the look of the drink a girl beside me was drinking I asked for two of those.

"I.D.?" He grunted, eyeing me up and down.

I locked eyes with him. "I forgot it. But I don't need it, right?" His eyes glazed over and he nodded. He made the drinks and handed them to me. "They're on the house?" My voice didn't falter and he nodded again before returning to other customers. I handed one of the drinks to my companion.

"Man," she eyed my longingly. "That power is awesome."

I shrugged, at times like these, I really couldn't argue. We downed our drinks pretty quickly before turned to her.

"Tequila?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. She grinned and nodded eagerly. As we waited for the barman to get this round I turned to her again.

"So um… what's up with you and Superboy?" She choked on her last mouthful of cocktail, a look on her face made me add hastily, "I know it's none of my business, I just noticed you guys hang out a lot." Jeesh, why did I even bother? I thought girl talk was one of the things you do on nights like these.

"No, um… it's fine. We're just friends, not from lack of trying on my part." She smiled weakly at me. "He's… young."

"Young?" I snorted. "He's our age!"

"Yes he looks our age. He's a clone you see…"

I gaped at her. "Wait… _what?_"

She sighed looking like she'd rather not talk about it but not that my attention was caught she could tell I wasn't going to let this go. "Nightwing, back when he was Robin and Kid Flash found him five years ago in a cloning Pod in a huge science facility called Cadmus Industries. We found out he had been grown artificially, a clone of Superman, fed information of the outside world for months. It wasn't until the two guys let him out that he actually started _living._"

I couldn't help letting my mouth drop open a little. Wow. I mean, a clone. Who would have thought… the rest of the memories I got from him made more sense… the long space of blackness… just, wow.

"So, I guess I've kind of only been hinting things, I mean really he's only six years old – "

"That's bullshit," I said louder than I intended. She jumped and raised an eyebrow at me. "Well, he's had six years not to live, but to adapt to who he is. That's more than enough time Cass."

"I guess…" she didn't sound sure. For the first time I felt like she peeled away the rumbustious, smiley nineteen year old and I saw deeper, the true Cassie Sandsmark. She must _really_ like Conner.

And just like that it was gone, I'll give her credit, she could paint a fake expression on way better than I could. This one glanced over my shoulder and grinned mischievously.

"Let's not think about the mutant boys for a while," she leaned in to say the words in my ear. Just then the handsome and very human guy she spotted when first arriving approached us.

"Can I buy you a drink?" He asked her, a crooked smile on his lips. I'll admit it he was gorgeous. Dark, chocolate-like complexion and amber eyes. His dazzling white teeth stood out in stark contrast to his skin. Cassie giggled and nodded.

I wanted to groan, what was I going to do now? I couldn't hang around these two all night. Being a third wheel was about as appealing to me as a kick in the gut. I excused myself from them, giving Cassie the bathroom excuse. I could see I was forgotten the second I was out of sight as they started talking in each other's personal spaces.

After relieving my bladder and fixing my makeup I was at a loss at what to do with myself. I considered dancing but I doubted I could pull off dancing alone without looking like a compete loser. After a very short deliberation I decided to go to my only not distracted friend in this joint. Alcohol.

After my third tequila I was sure I'd imagined it. I'm I wasn't a light weight but there was no way I could be _that_ unlucky and the faint rush of heat to my face was an indication that I was nearly tipsy. It didn't explain the delusional feeling I got when I caught the sight of Jackdaw stepping out into the smoking area.

Before I could stop myself I was charging outside, the cool air hit me like a brick wall and I could feel the tequilas go straight to my head. I strode steadily towards him as he asked the people around him for a light. I pushed one of the girls on my way to let me keep her lighter and kept walking until I was behind him. Reaching around his back I lit the cigarette poised between his lips.

"Thanks," he said smoothly. I recognised the man-whore quality his voice had taken. He turned around and the second our eyes met I saw the heat vanish to recognition. There was no time for him to school his features however as before I could stop myself I slapped him across the face so hard my hand stung.

"That's for handing me over to Slade you back-stabbing son-of-a-bitch."

I could feel all eyes turned to look at us. Even the security guard at the far end of the area. Guards in Gotham can sense trouble miles away.

"Good to see you Em," his cocky attitude was put back into its rightful place. He was rubbing his cheek which was more than a little pink. "Unexpected, but good all the same."

"Save it Jay," I hissed. "You can't smooth talk your way out of this one."

"What do you want me to say?" He fired the question at me. "I was told to get you out by yourself, use the contacts to make sure you're what they thought you were and leave. It was a job Fraya. You would have done the same thing if it were the other way around."

I glared at him for a full minute, allowing the words to register in my slightly foggy mind.

"Are the others here with you?" I asked much lower in volume.

"Nah… I'm alone tonight. It's not really their scene."

"You could be lying to me…"

"Guess you're gonna have to trust me..." His voice was more like a dare.

Knowing I was rarely able to resist his challenges I locked our eye contact.

"For the rest of our conversation you will not lie to me," he scowled as the urge to obey swept over him. He wasn't expecting me to be here, that means he was without the protection of those irritating contact lenses. "Now, are you alone?"

"No," he spoke through gritted teeth. "Bomber and Jones are in the lounge chatting up some humans they met."

Dread clenched in my stomach but I made sure to stay calm with him watching me. I needed to find a way to grab Cassie and get out of here.

"Walk with me," I ordered. I needed to get out of the prying eyes of security and humans. Luckily, this particular club's smoking area was situated on the street so after slipping through the barriers and taking a hard left we were standing in a quiet alley.

"Just like old times," Jackdaw's seductive note was back. Reaching from behind me he trailed his finger-tips down my arm.

I shrugged off his touch, ignoring the heat it brought out on my skin. "Knock it off," I snapped.

"Just speaking the truth," he grinned sarcastically making me scowl.

"What does Slade want with me?" I demanded.

He smirked. "You didn't order me to actually answer you," he said closing his eyes tightly. "Just when I do I have to speak truthfully."

_Damnit…_ I thought, furious at myself for making a rookie mistake. He wouldn't open his eyes even if I forced him and I needed the eye contact.

"I could always beat it out of you," I pushed as much bravado as I could into the words.

He snorted. So quickly I barely realised what he was doing he threw off his leather jacket and stretched out his wings.

Yes, that wasn't misprinted. I meant wings. Black, shiny feathers gleamed in the street lights, his powerful five metre wingspan cast a shadow over me.

"I'd like to see you try," his voice dark and threatening. "My guess is you have yet to absorb your kid's machine powers, without it you don't have any offensive abilities. I can easily defeat you with my eyes closed."

He was right of course. Although I'd been training non-stop with Nightwing for hand-to-hand I would still pose zero threat to a guy with heightened senses and wings.

"What are you gonna do Jay?" I asked, trying but failing to sound cocky. "Hand me over to Slade for the best price?"

Honestly, although the question was meant to make him feel pathetic I would have thought that was his exact plan. I wasn't expecting him to sigh, lower his wings and open those grey eyes again.

"No…" he admitted. "I don't want to. Whatever shit you've gotten yourself into I want no part in it."

"So you don't know what Slade wants with me?"

Jackdaw glanced around the alley. There was a certain stillness that was chilling there, he could sense it too. It was almost like someone was watching us.

"I might have an idea…" he spoke quieter making me lean closer to him so I could here. I opened my mouth to push the information out of him before he cut me off by leaning in to whisper in my ear. "Not here! The walls have ears in Gotham, you know that. Meet me in my old place down at the – "

"I remember where it is." I said glaring at him when his lips quirked into a smile.

"Of course you do. I've got a job until Tuesday afternoon so I'll meet you there at midnight?"

"Fine, but I came here with someone how can I get out without your boys seeing us?"

"A guy?" he asked his eyebrows raised.

"No. Not that it matters, can you distract the two idiots or not?"

"I can," he said smiling. "You know I'm awfully good at distractions." he let his face brush off mine for a little too long before darting out of reach. "Give me five minutes. I'll see you Tuesday then?"

Without thinking it through I nodded quickly.

"Great! I'll see you then," so quick I couldn't even think about pulling away he pressed his lips against my own. And jogged back towards the club.

_Four minutes fifty-eight, Four minutes fifty-nine… _I chanted in my head trying to breathe evenly before tearing back down the alley where Jackdaw and I walked what felt like hours ago. When slipping back through the barrier I slowed to a brisk walk. It didn't take long for me to spot the long blonde hair once back in the club. Especially seeing as it was whipping around the dance floor surrounded by interested males. I barged through them grabbing her wrist so tightly she spun around glaring at me.

"Oh!" her face smoothed out into a smile. "Hey Em!" She yelled over the pounding rhythm. I could barely hear it over the rushing of my ears. "Having fun yet?"

"We've got to go!" I screamed at her. Her expression seemed to crumble.

"What?" I wanted to knock her over the head. She was clearly too drunk to process my 'danger' tone.

"There are people here who might recognise me!" I pulled at her arm towards the exit.

"Hey," the guy that had spoken to her at the bar came over. "Leave her be if she wants to stay here! No need to kill her fun."

I snapped, it had to have been that damned noun. I rounded on the guy yelling into his face.

"You've just realised that there's a wedding ring on her finger," I yelled at him. "and she looks about twenty years older than you!" His gaze flickered over to her bare left hand then her face and shuddered.

"Hey!" Cassie whined. "Fraya! Why did you – "

"We're leaving _now_, Cassie!" I focused my gaze on her. She stopped pulling against my grip and allowed me to drag her out of the heat and noise of the club.

It was only when we hit the cold air that she sagged in my arms and I realised something.

"Cass! " I groaned. "How the hell are you supposed to drive us home in the jet?"

"It has Auto-pilot," she mumbled.

"Ok, well where did you park it?" Her answer was a choking noise. "Shit!"

I only just pulled her to the gutter when she started vomiting. I sighed at the heavens. Now I remembered why I hated having fun.

Just then I heard an extremely loud engine pull up behind us, it then revved twice. I was about to turn around and give whatever jackass who thought it was funny to rev at a vomiting girl the finger when I realised I knew that particular jackass.

"Thank god!" I called at Nightwing who got out of the dark vehicle. "Help me with her would you?"

He strode over in his full night wing costume, I could see all the people around me turning to stare. The females did more than that, I noticed a few were mentally undressing him with their eyes. _Huh…_ I thought as he helped with Wonder Girls weight. Swinging one of her arms over his shoulders and I took the other, we half carried half dragged her to the car. I glanced at him around Cassie's bobbing head.

I really hadn't noticed before but Nightwing was hot. I mean, yeah I couldn't see a quarter of his face due to his mask but what I did see was impressive. Strong, angular nose, prominent jaw. Though the mask covered his eyes I could still see the brightest blue irises and could burn in anger, a strange thing for such a cold colour. With those facial features matched with a body wrapped in muscle and latex –

"You're staring at me," his voice broke through my thoughts.

"What?" We'd reached the car, he'd somehow managed to open the back door while holding her. I helped slide Cassie – now unconscious into the back seat.

"Why were you staring at me?" He pressed.

"I wasn't," I lied blatantly. Before he could call me on it I slid into the passenger seat. A moment later he sat in beside me and turned the key in the ignition. The engine purred to life making me want to fall asleep with Cassie but I told myself to remain focused.

"I thought you were going the Central city with the others?" I asked absently, staring at the traffic flashing past us.

"Decided I'd stick around. Good thing I did too."

"What do you mean?"

"Did you really think you could take on Slade's right hand man by yourself?"

I turned to gape at him. "That was _you _in the alley?" He didn't even need to answer. "I can't believe it! Jay was about to give me information!"

"_Jay?_" He scoffed. "You're on first name terms with him?" I couldn't stop myself, I blushed, thinking how much more than first name terms I was with him and of course he caught that. "Wait, please don't tell me you're _involved _with Jackdaw."

"No," I bit back. "Not anymore anyway…" I wanted to kick myself. It must have been the after effects of the tequila that made me unable to shut my mouth.

"_Anymore?"_

"Look, it's over now and anyway? Why the hell would do you even _care_?"

"I don't…" he trained his full concentration on the road. "It would just be nice to know the kind of friends you've made over the years."

I gritted my teeth, if it was any other testosterone boosted bozo I would have said he was jealous. "I've never called him a friend."

"Oh? You prefered boyfriend? Soul mate? The team's run into him before, the guy's an asshole."

"I know plenty of assholes, and much to my luck one of them currently driving the vehicle I'm sitting in!"

Behind us, Cassie groaned, cutting the heated tension between us. I sighed, was I ever going to be able to converse with this guy without raising my blood pressure? I severely doubted it.

"She better not get sick again…" Nightwing muttered. His tone less heated. "Batman will kill me if the leather gets ruined…"

Something finally clicked with me. I frowned, fully taking in my surroundings for the first time. The dashboard was covered in lights and buttons with uses I could only imagine.

"Wait a second…" the realisation dawned about five minutes too late. "Is this… no, it can't actually be _the _Batmobile."

He threw me a frown. "Why can't it be? I was his side-kick for most of my teens, I've known him longer than my own parents. Seems logical that I drive the Batmobile when he doesn't."

I shrugged. "I guess I never really thought about it before." I shuffled in the leather seats. "It's more comfortable than I expected it to be."

"You can't expect this thing to be uncomfortable, I mean, he's Batman."

"True… wait, did you say you've known him longer than you've known your parents?"

"You caught that did you? Yeah, my parents died when I was nine, Batman has looked after me since then and I'm twenty-one now so…"

"Oh…" I really didn't know what to say to that. "Well, that was lucky I guess."

Obviously that was the wrong thing. "Excuse me?"

"Well… if your parents didn't die then you never would have met Batman and trained to be Robin before becoming Nightwing and join Team Beta, therefore not have ever aspired to be what you were born to be."

"You think I was born to be a Masked vigilante slash orphan who trusts no one and spends his mornings training his days on missions and nights off driving drunk heroes home?" The bitterness rang out around the vehicle. I turned slightly to gaze at his profile.

"Oh please," I sighed, surprisingly calm in contrast to his tone. "I don't feel sorry for you. I'd bet anything I own that you are not the only orphan living back in H.Q. we all have baggage like that, it's what drives us to do what we do in the first place. And you trust people. You trust Batman and more than likely Kid Flash, you guys are obviously close and the training? What else would you be doing if you didn't have it? I don't think you'd even know what to do with yourself on a day off, even a night off drives you insane."

"You think you have me all figured out don't you?" His volume had retracted considerably.

"Yeah, I do."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because, there's only one reason why you make me so angry every time we have a conversation."

"Only one?"

I gritted my teeth. It was refreshing not to be yelling at him and I'm trying to keep it going as long as possible. "We're too alike."

I thought he'd instantly deny it, the thought of being like me being a ridiculous notion. But I think he too must have come to the conclusion so instead he stayed silent, focused on the road ahead. The lights of the passing cards reflected in his eyes.

"You're doing it again," he said after a few more minutes.

"What?"

"Staring."

I jumped and instantly turned my head to look out the window, pressing my forehead against it was soothing against my tequila fuelled foggy brain.

"No I wasn't," I lied again and closed my eyes. Easily allowing sleep to suck me under, aided by the gentle hum of the Batmobile's engine.


	10. Chapter 10 - Cornered

He lunged, I dodged, his fist swung, I ducked. I realised with more than a little self-triumph that I had gotten better. A lot better.

And Nightwing knew it.

For the first time since we began sparring I saw a single bead of sweat streak across his frowning brow. His breathing was strained as I danced away from each move, he couldn't get a single hit, I was just too fast for him.

Sadly though, this satisfaction was going to be short lived as I could feel the cool stone wall of the Cinadome becoming closer and closer to me. Nightwing was backing me into it, preventing any escape. I attempted to dodge left, intending to spin him around and give me more room but he guessed that I'd do that. I had no choice but allow him to trap me.

I was half a metre from the wall when I realised that the time for dodging was long over. Sweat made my loose white shirt stick to my back; my hair clung to my moist neck. My breathing changed to pants.

In a fatal attempt to counter attack I used the energy from locking his arm to lunge forward. My fist hurtling towards his chest.

He easily blocked, more than blocked, his skilled hands clamped around my wrist and using my own force threw me against the wall my stronger arm pinned above my head by his steel grip.

In a final attempt to get out of my predicament I threw my left fist at his head, only to have it pinned in the same way except by my waist.

I blinked a few times, trying to clear my mind from fight mode. I'd lost the spar after all, and I'm sure Nightwing was going to give me hell for allowing myself to be in this position. I looked up, but the cocky line died in my throat.

I hadn't noticed how close we were standing. His lean, muscled body leaned heavily on mine, our legs chests and arms all pressed hotly together. I could feel his racing pulse crash with my own. His chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath. He'd bowed his head to make eye contact. I could see nothing around his face. Since our night out I couldn't get his newly realised attractiveness out of my head. It seemed to always be there in the back of my mind, humming to me in moments like this during our sessions.

Our proximity didn't seem to bother him though, as those pale lips broke into a smile, mere centimetres from my own. I really needed to get a grip.

"Now look and what you've got yourself into," that infuriating tone he uses when looking down his nose at me seeped into his voice. "You should have rolled about fifty paces back."

I gritted my teeth and allowed the acid to flow freely into my next words. "Of course Nightwing, let me just go and find – I dunno – a mentor or something to teach me how to roll out of that sort of situation... oh wait! That would be your job."

Anger sparked in those glowing blue eyes.

"And here I thought you were progressing. Seems that your lacking in respect along with that mouth still needs work."

I strained my neck forward so that I was completely in his face. "The only thing that needs work in this room is you're stuck up your own ass attitude!"

"If you'd stop fighting me and listened I'd be able to teach you!"

"If you stopped being a jerk I'd want to be taught!"

"That's it!" He screamed in my face. "You refuse to be taught by me so you know what? Get another fucking mentor! Because I am sick of having to deal with your mouth every single –"

His rant was cut off. The words died in his throat as they were blocked from leaving his mouth. Blocked by something that shocked me almost as much as it shocked him.

My lips.

Somehow, I don't know how but somehow seeing the fire scorching through those sapphire eyes, that perfectly curved mouth forming those harsh curses, brought those annoying thoughts from the back of my head directly in front and in focus. Before I could think, tell myself that this was a bad, bad idea and look away, break the trance made by those jewelled irises I did it. I leaned those spare millimetres forward, brought my teeth down on his lower lip – somewhat softly and pulled his mouth to meet my own. He froze, I felt his breathing catch, hell everything seemed to still in that all-defining second.

And then, Nightwing came to life.

He stepped forward, crushing our bodies together against the concrete wall. My bound wrists were released as he captured my face with his hands. His lips smothered mine, doing very little to force mine open. Our breaths merged, a sigh left my chest. My tongue slipped out to touch the tip of his. Teasing, daring, finally losing patience Nightwing plunged his deep into my mouth where it twisted and fought. His cool, metallic taste overcame my senses. I was drowning in his smell, taste and touch.

Finally – and I really mean finally – some common sense came through my clouded and obviously mentally retarded mind. And with more strength than was probably necessary I shoved him backwards with my palms sending him hurtling backwards looking like I'd punched him in the face. If it had been any other person he would have fallen, but I guess if it was anyone else I probably wouldn't have been in this train wreck of a situation. Instead he simply stared at me, his expression suddenly completely unreadable.

Feeling really uncomfortable I didn't know what to do except cover the awkward moment with attitude.

"Quit being my mentor, I don't care but for the record, there is nothing wrong with my mouth."

I couldn't even crack a smile to back up my bravado. Instead I turned around and marched out of the arena not even pausing for breath until I burst through the door of my room.

That night I found myself getting out of bed at around 2am and get dressed into the most comfortable and durable jeans I owned. After tying up my hair in loose bun I pulled out the bag of 'borrowed' weapons I'd compiled throughout the day from under my bed. The stash consisted of many knives, all sharpened and easily hidden the pockets of the worn leather jacket I through over my shoulders. Feeling dressed for the occasion I attempted to take a deep breath.

Now for the hard part.

The silence of a sleeping superhero base was smothering as I waded through the maze of hallways, hoping against hope that I'd make it to the garage without being caught. Once I made it to the chosen vehicle there would be no way that the engine wouldn't wake them but I'd be long gone by the time the team were fully conscious.

Finally, after what felt like hours yet could have been less than twenty minutes I made it to the empty garage, it's huge open section of the cave just as deserted as everywhere else. I felt my steps become more brisk as I passed each of the team's vehicles knowing that the clock was ticking by. I allowed myself a sigh of relief when I reached the bike. Part of me chose it just to piss the owner off but another part just wanted desperately to ride it. The motorbike I'd eyed on my first day in this place was by far the coolest thing in there. Completely my taste, it once again struck me how alike myself and the owner was…

I shook myself, thinking about him was becoming increasingly hard since our last training but I was getting better with practice. Casting the thoughts of equating riding the bike to well uh… you know I reached out to grasp the handle and swing my leg over the seat –

"Going somewhere?"

As if thoughts of him actually alerted him to my presence I shrieked and spun around. There, standing in what they thought was cool but in my opinion dork-like V-formation was League Beta. Furious at being caught off guard I took a breath to control my racing pulse before squaring my shoulders to meet Nightwing square in the eye.

"Yes actually I am," it took a lot of effort not to blush. This was in fact the first time I'd seen the guy since our… well, you know… session. "Didn't realise there was a rule against a late night outing."

"There isn't," Card Queen spoke up. "If you tell us about it, otherwise you could lead us to think that you're trying to escape, take the enemy on by yourself or to even _join_ them."

I couldn't hide the small wince on the last suggestion. "If I were to do any of that why would I leave Sadira asleep in her bed?"

"You tell us."

"Enough." Nightwing's voice barked and I'm embarrassed to say his tone did silence me. He could be scary when he wants to. "Are you heading to meet Jackdaw for the information he promised you last week or aren't you?"

I glared at him, so many answers involving him and his nosy, eaves-dropping ways to shove it, instead though I sighed and nodded.

"I am. Jay might have information we need, he's a free-lance so he works for whoever gives him the higher price."

"And that's what you're planning to do?" Kid-Flash spoke up. "Pay him?"

"No…" I sighed, this better be worth it. "I'm… I mean we're… um kind of… friends."

"Friends?" Cassie raised an eyebrow. Can everyone do that bar me?

"Yes. Drop it Cass."

"Nice," Queen of Hearts smirked making Kid-Flash cop on. His jaw dropped open, Nightwing simply glared in my general direction. I ignored them all and turned back to the bike.

"We'll take the jet," Nightwing's words had me once again spinning around.

"I'm going alone," I said through my teeth.

"As much as I find the thoughts of interrupting your little 'date'," I gritted my teeth so hard at his sarcasm that I thought my jaw was going to pop out of place. "There is a rule about letting a team member out on their own, it's not safe or allowed. Batman would skin us alive."

I stared at each of them, most had regained their composure after putting the two and two together about Jackdaw and I. They weren't moving, and there was no way I was going anywhere.

"Fine," I sighed, flinging the keys at his face so hard that he had to break his relaxed composure to pluck them out of the air. "But don't pretend for a second that this is about my safety. I'm going to ride that bike before I leave this place whether you like it or not."


	11. Chapter 11 - Bargained

"Are you s – sure you have the right place Fray?" Cassie's question cut through the icy chill lingering Gotham's suburbs before dawn broke. The cold November air felt like it was seeping through my clothes, flesh and into my bones. Wonder Girl wasn't stammering because of the temperature though, her powers allowed her to adjust to any extreme weather, no it was the feeling they all got from this place. I couldn't help but agree with them. Jackdaw lived in a deserted train station, in one of the warehouses that used to accommodate the carriages on the very edge of Slade's territory. We were literally at the mouth of the enemy. They could feel it.

"I'm sure," I murmured. "You know, if you guys aren't up for it I could just run in while you wait here and – "

"Not a chance," Nightwing's tone seemed pretty final, ah well, it was worth a try.

"What is with you, anyway?" Card Queen but-in. "You swear you actually did have a date planned with this creep."

I clenched my jaw, a habit I seemed to be using more and more around these people. "It's _not that_. I just, I don't feel comfortable – "

"Handling things as a team." Nightwing finished my sentence for me. Still mutely irritated I nodded. "We all had to get used to it, I thought with Slade – "

"I did my jobs alone, or with Jackdaw. Even then he was just the muscle or the distraction, I used to carry out most of the mission alone."

"Well, get used to it Fairburn," Kid-Flash said with a wink. "I've a feeling we're going to be working together for the next while. Think of this as a training exercise."

"I hope not," I muttered, with Nightwing in the corner of my eye. "Training to me now means getting my ass kicked methodically." The others snorted and I sighed. "Alright, let's just get this over with."

I took the back door into the warehouse I heard a few of the others behind me gasp as the view of Jay's actual layer came into view. He'd converted three old train carriages into a living area, kitchen and um, bedroom. It's amazing the things you can get done in this city for the right price. Even I was impressed when he first took me here. Bracing myself against what very easily be a really bad mistake I strolled up to the middle carriage and knocked on the door. I kept knocking in an impatient rhythm, the methodical thumps calmed me somewhat, as well as getting his attention. I kept on knocking and knocking until he finally opened the door.

"Well," he said leaning against the frame, shirtless, his black wings tucked loosely into his back. I was expecting this, he rarely wore a shirt while at home, it was uncomfortable enough in public. "At least some things haven't changed. When I saw you had brought a team with you I considered that perhaps I didn't know you anymore."

I glanced back at my uneasy companions. "I wanted to come alone but… they're stubborn."

"Of course they are, they're the runts of the Justice league."

I rolled my eyes when I felt them stiffen and take stances. "Shut up Jay, stop bating them. You're outnumbered and you know it."

I pushed past him into the living area, it hadn't changed in the year I'd been there, he was still a neat freak about his place, not a thing out of order. The plush leather sofas and woollen rugs accompanied by all the electronics illegal money can buy. The place was an ultimate bachelor pad. I noticed Kid-Flash gaping longingly around the place but the others seemed to remain focused, although Cassie did seem to be trying hard not to check out Jay's chest. Again, didn't really blame her.

"Aw, you wouldn't let them hurt me would you Effie? Not when I'm being so accommodating with this information."

I scowled at my nickname. "Depends on how good the information is."

He grinned at me, the boyish kind that used to make me smile or punch him. I ignored it this time and sat down on one of the sofas. "By all means, make yourself at home," he said to the others without looking away from my form.

Cassie sat awkwardly next to me, attempting to feel comfortable but failing. With her eyes she seemed to convince Conner to sit across from her on one of the stools. As did Kid-Flash looking pretty relaxed, except he tapped his feet nervously on the foot rests. Nightwing and Card Queen simply refused and remained standing, their bodies tense, ready in case Jackdaw went to strike.

"Well, isn't this a lovely gathering," Jay said cheerfully. "I would offer you beers but I've a feeling if I did you'd consider the bottles weapons of mass destruction."

"Let's get to the point here Jackdaw," Nightwing said darkly. "Or was there any point in you luring Fraya out here other than seeing her in her clubbing outfit again."

Jay's eyes narrowed on the hero in black before smoothing the expression over and looking back at me. "Ah, so this was our fly on the wall – or more correctly baby rat with wings."

They seemed to square each other up. I groaned internally, the amount of testosterone in the small space was suffocating.

"Jay," I sighed. He shrugged off his irritation like a coat and was once again his easy-going self. He could hide his emotions better than I could.

"Fine," he muttered. "As I said Friday night, I don't know much –"

"That's for sure –"

"_Nightwing,_" I hissed in a scary tone matching one of his own. "Shut up."

He scowled out one of the small windows, I urged Jackdaw to go on.

"But there's something big going on between Slade and the other villains of the Big Cities. It's deep under wraps, they barely tell me anything – especially since my loyalties don't lie anywhere but the main impression I got was that it all ties back to you."

"To me?" I repeated, frowning.

"We already know that from the wanted poster with her face on it," Queen of Hearts said sourly. "Please tell me that's not all you have."

He glared at her. "Do your sources tell you that there are humans in on it too?"

There was a cold silence; I stared blankly at him, my mind not quite able to wrap itself around the new piece of information.

"Why would humans want me?" I asked no one in particular. "More to the point, how do they even know I exist?"

"Hell if I know," jay shrugged. "I just overheard Bolt talking to a bunch of brains, telling them that their boss won't succeed in obtaining the absorber before he did. He then fried one and let the other run back screaming to tell his superiors."

"And you're sure those scientists didn't work from another warlord in Gotham?" Conner asked frowning.

"Positive, I know all-too well the tone Bolt takes when he talks to humans."

I nodded, so did I. "Is that it then?"

"No… word on the street is there's gonna be a meeting of the Triad."

Everyone's gaze flicked to Jackdaw's face, even Nightwing who up until this point was pretending to ignore him had is gaze fixed on Jay's.

"The Triad only ever meet once in a blue moon," Cassie spoke quietly. "And that's only if something big got their attention."

"The thing that's big has another word," Jackdaw looked straight into my eyes. "You."

"I don't understand," I broke away from his gaze, shaking my head that seemed to have fogged over in the last few moments. "I am not this important, why on earth would _I_ be a reason to bring the Warlords of Gotham, Metropolis _and _Central City to one place?"

"Beats me," Jay shrugged as if he'd just announced the Triads favourite flavoured ice-cream. "All I know is that the meetings planned sometime this month, no one knows exactly when or where but a certain few hundred will be asked to attend and –" he gestured to himself. "– be body guards."

I stared at him, taking in where he was going with this, what would be his next move.

"Leave us." The words were out before I really had time to think them through.

"_What_?" A chorus issued.

"I'll meet you back in the jet. Give me fifteen minutes."

"No," Nightwing said in his scary tone. "I told you –"

"To hell with your rules Nightwing," I snapped across him. I took a breath. "Meeting outside, _now._"

We filed out of the carriage, leaving Jackdaw with his boyish grin I wanted to smack off.

"All I ask for is fifteen minutes," I attempted to use my calm, restrained tone.

"Why?" Nightwing spun around so he was in my face, I didn't back down though. "What is so secretive that we can't be in there to back you up?"

"I know him. This information that he might give us could in fact get him skinned alive. He won't give it up without a price. I am one of the only people that he'll give it up to and _not_ if a bunch of hot-headed heroes are in there throwing around Justice induced threats which I know you are all well used to dishing out!"

I barely breathed through that explanation, but it seemed to have got my point across. Cassie sighed and shrugged towards Conner who nodded at me, they turned back to the ship, Card Queen after a "your death-wish" followed suit. Kid-Flash remained still, his eyes resting on the man in front of me.

"Your decision bud," K.F. said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Nightwing's gaze hadn't left my face.

I gazed back unblinking. "Three weeks ago Vixen asked me to trust you lot, well now I'm asking the same from you."

We gazed at each other. I'd played what was probably the last card I owned; otherwise we were back to square one. I didn't think I'd be able to go back to training and waiting. I needed this to make some sort of step forward. I prayed all this showed in my face as there was no way I could ever voice them.

Finally, he sighed, shrugging the hand off. "Fine. You have fifteen minutes before we knock the door down."

I didn't even thank him instead I turned and walked back in the room, shutting the door behind me. It was easy to see that Jackdaw had been putting his acute hearing into good use.

"Your new boss is a tool," he commented absently. He lounged on the wall opposite me, I pressed my back against the door, one hand on the handle, reassurance that I could leave if I wanted. I could see it in his posture exactly how the conversation would have to go.

"I don't have a boss, you know that Jay."

"Could have fooled me."

"Cut the small talk, name your price."

He detached himself from the carriage, moving closer to me. "Whatever do you mean by that Ef?"

I sucked a breath through my teeth. "What do you want in exchange for the information?"

He chuckled, darkly, the sound echoed from the back of his throat. Blood rushed in my ears as he closed the space between us slowly. "What would you be prepared to give me?"

I knew he could hear my heartbeat echoing in my chest like a battering ram repeatedly slamming against my rib cage. He was so close that his we could have held a single piece of paper between our two bodies.

"Anything," I breathed. "I need to know what's going on Jay. Whatever you want."

He lowered his head to my ear; I could feel his breath fanning my shoulder as he inhaled.

And then he stepped back, laughing outwardly.

"You make it too easy Effie," he chortled. "You think I would want to sleep with you through blackmail?" He raised his hand to my cheek which I almost automatically slapped away. "It's so much more fun to convince you that you want me, making it a better night for all."

I gritted my teeth. "Whatever, does that mean that you won't give me the information?"

"Nah," he shrugged. "I love to see the Triad's feathers ruffled, curious to find out myself anyway. I'll text you when the meeting is. On two conditions."

I felt like groaning, just when I thought I'd won. "Ugh, what?"

"You come alone. I'm serious this time, I know your new pals are skilled but you saw in that alley how easily my crew can pick up even the quietest of yours. I can't hide all of you."

"Fine," I nodded, knowing how much of a fight this condition was going to cause me. I was still in a little shock that he was giving me this information for free. "That all?"

"That and let's just say I have your marker on this one Effie. You scratch my back I scratch yours. The next time I'm in need of a favour you accept without hesitation, capiche?"

I frowned; pretty sure that agreeing to this will also land me in trouble, yet truth of the matter was that I was desperate. That really left me with little to no options.

"Ok," I sighed feeling as if this was all going to bight me hard in the ass. "But it better be worth it Jay."

"Of course it will be, anyway, our fifteen minutes are up." He reached around me and opened the door. The cold air was actually welcome, it cooled what I knew was a bright red, flushed face. He walked me to the warehouses back door, something he used to do a year ago after my other… visits. When I opened it I could see the others had flown the jet closer, not bothering with stealth anymore. I sighed knowing that they were probably itching to leap out of it to beat him now.

"I have a question," Jay spoke; I turned to see that he had moved very close to me, I couldn't see a thing around his face. "What, did you think would convince me to give you this information that would only take fifteen minutes?"

I couldn't help but smile. "You know I work fast Jay."

At this he chuckled, obviously taking this one moment of weakness he kissed me, hard, I didn't even react, I knew that it was coming. I left him a moment before shoving him backwards into the warehouse.

"I'll be back if I don't hear from you soon Jay," I called over my shoulder as I walked back towards the jet. He said something else but I couldn't make it out over the purr of the engine.

When I ascended the stairs to the main cock-pit I was greeted with a heavy silence.

"He'll find me when he finds out the whereabouts of the meeting," I spoke to try and lighten the gazes on my form. Cassie gaped at me, her eyebrows nearly touching her golden hair line.

"Do I even want to know what you did to receive this information?"

"It wasn't like that," I muttered uncomfortably, wishing they'd just drop it. There was no way these always do-gooders would understand the kind of relationship Jay and I had. We weren't together, but to get anything out of him you had to flirt your ass off.

"Oh?" A dark tone echoed from the driving seat of the jet making me want to sigh. "And pray tell, what was it like?"

I sat down in the back and slowly put on my belt, biding my time I guess. I didn't want to bring up Jackdaw's conditions yet, in this mood Nightwing would never let me go alone to the meeting and I needed to be there. "Look, I got the information ok? What does it matter how I convinced him?"

"Of course it – "

"Drop it Nightwing," Card Queen spoke up surprising us all. His hands seemed to be gripping the nose wheel so tight that his knuckles turned white under the strain. But he seemed to listen to her and return his attention to lifting the jet into the air and steering it back to Happy Harbour.

The heavy silence resumed, Kid-Flash and Conner appeared to blush. I sighed, fine, let them think I had sex with him for the information. Strangely, my stomach sank before I shook myself internally. Why would it bother me if they considered me some sort of whore anyway? It's not like I actually said I did it!

I looked out the window, feeling a few of their nervous and not-so-subtle glances back at me. It appeared that they really didn't realise what I was capable of. As I watched Gotham become smaller and smaller I realised that I probably would have done it for information, hell I did it before when there wasn't even any information to get!

All the thoughts seemed to file under a single conclusion: they would never have done it my way because the truth is I'm never really going to be one of them.

Most terrifying of all, that conclusion actually kind of upset me.


	12. Chapter 12 - Judged

My next training session was even more gruelling than usual.

It appeared that my outing earlier that morning caused my mentor to be a little more than irritable during our late training. I considered this ill-mannered mood had something to do with either a) the lack of sleep which he would neither let himself or I catch up on and b) it appeared that ordering him to leave Jay's lair was the final straw in a series of defying him at every turn leaving Nightwing a vicious and cranky mentor and me well, in pain.

"Flip."

I inhaled, bent my knees in preparation, tested my weight between the two chords that tied me to the roof – an aid for height and that I didn't break my neck – and using what was left of my energy flung my body backwards, sailing through the air turning my body over once, twice and –

"_Shit._" Over rotated the third and face planting into the sand. I pulled myself onto my hands and knees but no further. My limbs shook from over exertion and sweat made my clothes and hair cling to my body. I was beyond spent.

"Again." Nightwing's voice cut through the air like a whip.

"We've been at this for hours," I huffed. The real words I wanted to use at this stage was 'I can't' or 'Please I beg you' or even 'no, piss off'. But I wouldn't give him the satisfaction by using any of those.

"And you'll keep doing it for hours until you get it right."

"I don't understand the mood you're in," I panted, hauling myself to my feet, bracing my hands on my knees and attempted to breathe deeply. "This morning was a success! We got the information – "

"No, _you _got the information!" He spat back, I'd never seen him lose his temper in front of the others, maybe I brought out the worst in him but right now he looked more pissed than I'd ever seen him. "You don't get it! We're supposed to work as a team to apprehend any information valuable to this mission!"

"You don't seem to get it either! With you in that room he wouldn't have told us anything!"

"You don't know that!"

"Yes I do! I worked as his partner for nearly six months, I know how he thinks, that's why I was planning to go alone in the first place!"

"It was six on one! We could have forced the information out of him!"

"The guy was trained by Slade, you and I both know he's well able to take a beating and we didn't have the time."

"We could have bribed him!"

"Money for his life? He would have never – "

"I could have convinced – "

"_No!_" I screamed. "_I_ was the only one who could convince him. He didn't trust any of you!"

It was that moment he finally snapped. "Oh I'm sure he didn't trust us! I suppose sex is the best way to convince any guy of trust – "

Before I'd even thought it through I pulled my fist back and forward with more force than I ever thought I could muster. The punch landed cleanly on his mouth, his head snapped back, his lip splitting on his own teeth. He was cut off completely by my outburst, slowly he raised a finger to the already swelling skin, blood came off on his hand.

I was shaking in fury, I was so angry that I could barely register anything but the fact that he'd just about called me a whore to my face, so angry that I didn't even pause to celebrate that I'd landed my first ever clean hit on him.

"First," I said in such a low monotone I could barely hear it over the pounding in my head. "I did not sleep with him, I simply agreed to a few terms over arranging getting into the meeting and second, so what if I had? If that was the only way to get this information, get out of whatever shit I've been landed in than I would have done it without even batting an eyelid. This isn't just some Justice League protocol we're dealing with, this is Sadira's _life._ And I will do anything, _fuck anyone_ to protect it."

With that I stormed out of my training session for the second time in two days.

It took me three hours to cool off, once reaching my room I slammed and locked both entries. Even knowing that I upset Sadira didn't stop me. I then turned the stereo up full blast and took a shower, a cold one. I scrubbed off the sweat and what felt like the crap I had to deal with that day from my skin. When the fury subsided I started to shiver. I turned up the heat before getting into my pyjamas and crawling into bed it was only half-five yet technically I'd be awake for fifteen hours, I'd sleep for a while. So, with the thumping bass of my blared music drowning out the residents of H.Q. I drifted off to sleep haunted not because of the accusations my mentor had made to me but that deep down his words had actually stung.

I woke at four am and watched the minutes go by until half five, deliberating.

Finally with a sigh I pulled myself out of bed at a minute before my alarm was set to go off. My temper was in check so instead of sulking which I had planned the night before to do I slipped into fresh training gear, tied up my hair, brushed my teeth and strolled downstairs, taking my time. I didn't want to be early for my own personal funeral. Bracing myself, I pushed through the heavy swing doors to the Cinadome.

I was more than a little surprised at who I found standing in the centre.

"Hey Em!" Cassie called, Conner standing alongside her. He yawned loudly as I approached.

"Guys if you know what's good for you," I spoke quickly after scanning the Dome for any more bodies. "Scram. Nightwing will be here any second and he won't be in a good mood. We… um… sort of had a fight yesterday – "

"And you punched him," Cassie finished for me.

I paled. "Um… yeah kind of."

"Awesome," Superboy laughed – I repeat – outright laughed and held out his hand. I shook it cautiously wondering why they weren't about to kill me for hurting their friend.

"I thought so…" I said slowly, testing the waters. "Didn't think you would too though."

"Are you kidding?" Cassie said, her eyes actually lit up at the thought. "Nightwing _never_ gets beaten up, we barely ever get a decent hit on him and you come along after three weeks and he's bleeding! He needed to be taken down a few pegs."

I shrugged. "Is that what you're here for then? To congratulate me?"

"_That… _and to take over your training today. Nightwing had to go back to Gotham for Batman."

"Or to hide in the Batcave in shame," Conner winked at me. I frowned.

"Hold on, you two my mentors now?"

"Nah, just sub-ins for today. The general will be back with you tomorrow morning."

I stared at their smiling faces and couldn't help but return them.

"Alright then," I laughed, actually laughed. It was about time I had some fun.

I learned in the next few hours that training to be a young superhero had its perks. Especially when your teachers were as easy going as Superboy and Wonder Girl. After stretches we simply tested how accurate my absorption powers were. I would borrow a small amount of Superboy's and we had weight lifting competitions all the while laughing and messing with each other. I began to notice a different side to Conner. In the group he's quiet, polite and only interjects in the conversation if he has to. With Cassie, he's far more upbeat and vibrant. It was almost as if she brings his character into focus, something that was strangely nice to see. I even found myself noting his reactions around her to give her my full analysis later. There was definitely feelings for her in him too. I could see it.

When it came to sparring though I realised something I wish I hadn't. I had to hold back, not use any of my powers. Even with their added strength and Cassie's flight, it was far too easy to get in close and absorb their powers, knocking them out. Something inside me grew agitated that I wasn't bettering myself this way. After I'd taken Cassie's power and flung Conner across the dirt for the seventh time we decided to call it a day.

"Man Fray," no wonder you got a hit on Nightwing, Cassie's tone seemed awe-struck. "You're awesome!"

"He's training you well," Conner added in agreement.

I shrugged off their compliments though that thought had never struck me. Through the pain, loose tempers and make-out sessions I'd never really thought about whether or not Nightwing was training me to be a great fighter. I guess today maybe proved that he was.

Damn… was that his plan all along?

After a shower and fresh clothes I took a detour on my way to the consult via the west wing. I'd never been there before but on reaching it I was grateful to find had the exact same layout as the east. I went on to find the easiest, fastest route to the elevator and waited. I was standing less than five minutes when I heard familiar footsteps. Nightwing appeared so deep in thought that he nearly walked straight past me.

"You could just apologise you know," my voice brought him crashing back to reality. He jumped, looking as though he was about to beat the shit out of me before recognition dawned. "Not fun being snuck up on is it?"

"I don't intentionally sneak up on people…" I gave him a doubtful look. "Much. How long were you standing there?"

"Not long." I fell in step beside him as we walked towards the elevator.

"How was your training yesterday?" I could literally feel the strain his voice took on in attempt to make polite conversation.

"Fine," I shrugged. "I don't hurt at all today, it's an odd feeling."

"Good odd?"

"It should be…"

"What do you mean?"

It was my turn to feel strained as I tried to get the words out. "Training with them… it was fun. I should have liked it."

"But you didn't."

"No…" I sighed. "I didn't progress, and I hate that. I guess what I'm trying to say is that… as a big of a pain in the ass you are… uh – how's your face?"

I couldn't go through with the full complement, during the midst of my awkward speech he'd turned to look at me and I got an eyeful of his bruised, split lip. He touched it gingerly.

"Fine." His response was brisk. We had just stopped in front of the elevator. We both reached for the up button and our hands brushed, heat sparked from beneath my skin. He pulled his hand back and with an internal sigh I pressed the button.

_Jeesh… get a grip… _I thought sourly both at him and myself.

There was an awkward silence as the lift rose. It had six stories to go when it broke.

"Look… Fraya I'm… I jumped to the wrong conclusion yesterday. I was angry – not used to being given orders and then Jackdaw not to mention – "

"Are you," I cut over his babbling, unable to conceal the slow smile spreading across my face. "Apologising to me?"

He cleared his throat and stared at the unmoving doors ahead of us. "I guess."

The elevator bell rang and the doors slid open. I stepped in, unable to shake the stupid grin on my face. When Nightwing didn't move though I did frown.

"Aren't you coming?" I asked.

"Nah," he said turning for the door that led to the stairs. "Too much tension when you share an elevator."

I was about to ask him what he meant when the doors slid shut. I shrugged chocking it up to him being slightly unhinged and pressed the ground floor button.

I stepped back, waiting to be raised the final four floors. It only made it one when the bell dinged once more. I waited, expecting to see one of the others heading to the consult too. What I didn't expect to see was Nightwing charging towards me so fast that before I could even ask what was wrong he'd already collided into me. His left arm catching me before I could fall and crushing me to him. His right hand slid into my hair and pulled our mouths together. I froze, shocked by the sudden onslaught but within seconds I was reacting, sliding my hands up around his shoulders and into his hair. The strands were as soft as silk. As he clung tighter to me our mouths opened, I gasped in his breath, his taste and scent took over my senses, citrus and a sort of metallic. My stomach flip-flopped, not sure whether it was because of the elevator rising or the fact that I've never experienced a kiss like this.

I didn't register the elevator bell tolling, hell I probably wouldn't have registered an earthquake in that state. Nightwing did however and broke away, untangling himself from me and stepping back just in time for the doors to open. Vixen stood there staring in at us. It took a hell of a lot to blush bright scarlet and cringe back into the corner.

"Good, there you are." She spoke sternly, not appearing to notice our dishevelled hair and bruised lips, I wondered vaguely if I'd just made my mentors split lip a lot worse… Nightwing was panting slightly, probably from sprinting up that first flight of stairs to catch me and not getting enough oxygen, well, afterwards. It was only then that I took in her form properly. There was a reason she wasn't paying that close attention to us, something bigger, much, much bigger was on her mind.

"Martian Manhunter is here."


	13. Chapter 13 - Trapped

The famous Martian of the League wouldn't take his eyes off me as I sat down in the consult room. He had no pupils, only red irises that I would have felt uncomfortable with except for the fact that I've come across a lot stranger mutants over the years. His slightly lined, green skin was also a sure sign of his origins. Wearing a blue cape and silver costume he looked every bit the bad ass that I'd heard about. Manhunter was both a shape-shifter and held the ability to phase through solid objects, not to mention the little tricks of invisibility and mind control. I had fantasised about taking his power but the thought I might turn permanently green turned me off the idea.

"So how are we going to do this?" I asked the general table, breaking the uncomfortable silence where everyone bar one was glancing at me.

"In a few moments we're going to take you into one of the labs," Manhunter spoke in a monotone. The 'L' word made me flinch but I angrily regained composure. "I'm going to dive deeply into your sub-consciousness extract the memories of your time in Ireland and place them in your teammate's heads. Therefore the information of the whereabouts will be there for all of you to use."

I wanted to correct him on the teammate thing but seeing as it made no difference I simply nodded and took a deep breath.

"It shouldn't hurt," he said, trying to comfort me.

"Sure it will," I tried to push as much bravado into my words. "I wouldn't give my worst enemies the punishment of having my thoughts in their minds."

Cassie giggled, Conner and Kid-Flash smiled the Martian however looked blankly at me. There was obviously no such thing as sarcasm on his home planet. Instead, he stood up and following his lead everyone exited the room. As I followed Manhunter down the corridors and deeper into the base Sadira ran up beside me.

"Don't worry about it Fraya," she said taking my wrist. "You'll be fine and I'll hold your hand during every moment of it."

I glanced behind me and caught Batman's gaze, the thought of Sadira locked up in a lab with me would not help my concentration nor would it allow her to sleep tonight. So slightly I hoped she didn't notice I shook my head at Batman. He seemed to get the message and cleared his throat.

"I'm afraid only the team and Manhunter can go into the Lab; he can't have any more minds in there than is absolutely necessary."

She opened her mouth to protest but I squeezed her hand.

"It's ok," I said quietly. "It's not going to hurt, I'll see you afterwards and we'll be one step closer to getting out of here."

She frowned but allowed Vixen to escort her down the next turn we came to. The rest of us continued on for another fifty metres. It seemed like hours had passed since Nightwing had kissed me in the elevator, I tried to hold on to that memory as we entered the Laboratory.

It was white, too clean. The sterile scent in the air that appeared to be imprinted in the darkest parts of my memory wanted to make me gag. I tried to inhale through my mouth but the taste of it on my tongue was worse.

"Relax," a voice breathed beside me. I glanced to my left to see Nightwing had walked up beside me.

"I am relaxed," I muttered back heatedly. I felt his hand move to brush against my own clenched fist; the lightest of touches of his fingertips over my white knuckles.

"Then at least stop clenching your jaw so you aren't lying badly," he remarked so casually that I wanted to hit him again. I hadn't even noticed I'd done it, but on releasing my jaw it ached making me wonder how long I'd been clenching it.

"If you would lay here Miss Fairburn," Manhunter's monotone echoed off the white tiles. Swallowing what I hope wasn't audibly I did as he asked, stretching out on the hard reclining chair. I blinked against the harsh white light. The faces above me were shadowed as they blocked some of it out. The feeling of every eye on my form was making me feel uncomfortable but with a deep breath I blocked it out. _I can do this _I tried to convince myself.

"As I said before, this won't hurt but you may feel some discomfort," the Martian spoke as he stood just at my head. "Do you understand?" Not trusting my voice I simply nodded. "Good."

He raised his hands, one on either side and in line with my temples.

"I'll now ask the team to place one of their hands on her arm," I felt the warm touch of twenty-five fingers touching my bare skin. "We must be connected if this is to work. Now, everyone close your eyes. Miss Fairburn, allow your mind to go blank, think about nothing in particular I'll soon take direction of your thoughts but for now just let go."

_Just let go…_

I thought it would be harder than it was but with the Martian's help I was able to let all the worries and stress of my own life slip away. My mind was thinking of nothing yet everything in an easy, fluid rhythm. The image of mist appeared behind my closed eyelids, I slipped into it like a dream. I was standing amongst the mist, feeling it slip through my fingers just like my thoughts were.

"_Now Fraya,"_ Manhunter's voice echoed softy through the hue. _"I want you to cast your mind back to the night you and Sadira escaped…_"

It was easy I just told myself where to go and I was there, it was just like that time I absorbed a teleporting ability five years ago. I appeared within my old cage, my stomach dropped as I was much too big for it now. I crouched uncomfortably in it and could feel myself beginning to panic.

"_Stay calm…"_ the voice above commanded. _"You're fine, you're not really there… you are just recalling the discomfort, not feeling it." _I took a quick breath and the feeling evaporated. I eyed a four-year-old Sadira in the cage next to me. My heart swelled, watching her determined little face. I glanced forward again. The Body guard had entered, the memory seemed to flick to fast forward, he was yelling, I got electrocuted minus the physical pain and I absorbed his power.

"_That's enough of inside the Lab, what did you see when you were outside?"_

The image changed, I was now in the woods, glancing back I could see the building I'd just exited, it was just normal grey brick. Nothing unusual about it, there were no signs and it was far too dark to see any landscape.

"_Keep going…" _the voice urged. Suddenly the reception of the dream changed, this was the part of the memories that I'd long ago let slip away, it was fuzzier, harder to see. I sprinted down through the woods, tripping and tearing my knees and shins until they bled. I'd made it less than half a kilometre when I broke through the trees.

A lake stood in front of me, the waters so still it looked like glass, lights from a distant village flickered across the way –

_No! _My heart raced and I dived behind the shrubs. I peered through the leaves again. The buzzing sound of helicopters broke the quiet scene. I narrowed my eyes to see that those flickering lights weren't those of houses in a small village. They were flash lights on the nearest island, a search party for me, but that didn't make any sense –

"_The facility is obviously huge,_" the Martian answered my silent question. _"There could be a huge portion of it beneath the ground, many exits on the surface._"

I moved from behind the tree, knowing that the guards would never see me from this far away cloaked in darkness, just as I reached the trees on either side of the road I saw it, exactly what we needed. A sign post.

"_Perfect,"_ Manhunter's voice seemed closer than before. "_Now we can infiltrate what appears to be a human organ –"_

And that was when everything went to hell.

It was like my brain had been turned to elastic. As the Martian tried to pull me out of my own mind it had stretched outwards and on the word 'human' it snapped back into place, locking myself and everyone with me back into the height of my memory.

I was back inside the institute once more and running, fast.

"_Fraya, calm down…" _the voice commanded, for this time I couldn't listen to it. _"I need you to stay calm before we can escape your memory…"_

Escape… that's what I needed to do, escape. I pushed my legs harder against the linoleum, feeling Sparks bouncing on my back. I ran through the halls, each sector passing like a blur of blues and whites. I pushed out the sound of the Martian's instructions, so consumed in panic that I couldn't separate my memory from mind anymore. I was reaching the exit, I could feel it. Any second now…

A woman came into view, not just any woman, _the_ woman. Her terrified look clearer than any other part of these memories. My panic, the need to escape was the only thing in my mind as I leapt on her, the skin on my hands fusing with hers. Her life flooded through me, emptying her as the image of her family carved itself into my brain and soul before we both fell to the ground. The blood from the head wound she received in the fall pooling on the floor, seeping into my hair. I pushed her off me, staring into her vacant expression.

_I killed her… _the thought repeated itself over and over. _I killed her… I killed her… no… no… no…_

"NO!" I screamed and sat bolt upright in the seat. There was a pulse and the others collapsed around me. I stared in horror at their unconscious bodies. Their unmoving forms far too close to what I'd just seen. To what _they had all _just seen. My secret was out; the Justice League now knew I was a murderer. No one would help me now, I was on my own.

With nothing left inside but the fear and misery I did the only thing I thought was right to do then.

I stood up and ran.


	14. Chapter 14 - Empathised

It didn't take long to realise that I had nowhere to go. That didn't stop me from running though as I pushed my legs harder and harder against the ground. My lungs rasped for oxygen, begged for rest but I ignored them, trying to get higher, I needed to get out into the open. Space, escape. Those words were ringing in my ears, blotting out any other thoughts.

Somehow, I managed to find a ladder leading to a door out of the Base. It brought me to the peak of mount justice. Overlooking Happy Harbour, the view would have been breath-taking had I any breath in my body. I collapsed on the side of the mountain, not even feeling the hard rock biting into my palms. Leaning back on the mountain face my chest heaved in as many lungful's of air as it could. I stared up at the sky, praying that the bright; midday light would prevent the tears from falling. They remained on the verge of my eyelids, waiting for a chance to escape. I watched the clouds moving leisurely across the sky, forming shapes that disappeared the second you figured out what they were.

The low groan of metal broke the peaceful ambiance of distant waves breaking against the shore. I heaved a sigh, wanting to get up and run again but knowing that I had neither the physical nor mental strength to move my body out of this position.

I was expecting Vixen, or at least Kid-Flash who could have easily caught up to me, maybe even Nightwing but the one person I never ever expected sat down next to me, avoiding my questioning eyes, she played uncomfortably with the scarlet hair.

"I always come up here," Card Queen said absently, staring out on the horizon. "It's quiet enough to think yet not uncomfortably silent, yano?"

After about thirty seconds I was able to regain my jaw and composure. Clearing my throat I mumbled an "I guess."

"Best part of all, no one else really knows about it. Well, I'm sure Nightwing does, but you've probably guessed the guys not that interested in something as mundane as a nice view." I frowned at my clenched hands on my lap. Card Queen was being outright hospitable, I didn't have a clue what was going on.

"You killed that woman." Ah, there it was. The reason for the niceties. I flinched away from her, tensing to get up and maybe throw myself off the cliff to get away until she gripped my arm. "Hey, take it easy. No one blames you here."

"How could they not?" I demanded, finally finding my voice. "I murdered that woman, she was innocent, probably hadn't a clue about half the things going on in that lab and through a single touch she was gone."

"She was keeping you there against your will –"

"You wouldn't understand," I cut her off savagely. "You saw my memories but have you any idea how it felt? To feel her… everything that made her who she was sucked into me. Sometimes I think she still lives in my head…"

"We all have pasts here," her tone was actually kind. When I didn't answer her she sighed, reached up and pulled her mask from her face.

"Wait – what are you –" I stammered, not able to understand.

"My secret identity is Duela Dent." She said slowly and deliberately, keeping her eyes securely on the small purple mask in her hands. She turned it over and over as she spoke, probably trying not to think too hard about what she was admitting to me. "My Father was Harvey Dent, one of Gotham's greatest district attorneys, the people's man. He planned to make the city better, cut off communication between the crime lords. Everyone loved him…"

"I remember," I murmured. His face came up in my mind, a news bulletin I saw long ago. I didn't like where her story was going.

"His plans and unexpected support got him in trouble. The crime lords banded together to get rid of him. One night he just didn't come home, I found out years later that he'd been abducted, mutilated and poisoned with toxins – driven insane." I tried to keep my expression neutral but the more of the story the harder it got. I gritted my teeth against the bile rising in my throat. "Blaming Batman for not saving him he became the villain he is today, the warlord Two-Face, using a coin that my abusive grandfather gave him to decide whether his victims live or die."

She stood up, her eyes seemed to focus on the horizon but when I zeroed in I noticed her eyes had glazed over.

"It took five murders before my mother realised that Harvey Dent no longer existed but I was never sure. When I was fifteen I ran away from home to find him.

"I found him eventually; calling out to some dangerous characters that I was Two-Face's daughter got immediate attention. He came to me, brought me down to his black-market empire.

"At first I was thrilled, to have my father back, I barely noticed the marks on his face. He was literally the king of this underworld I never knew existed. For the first time in my life I held power over people, just because of my heritage I could order men around – get them to do whatever I wanted. I was this kind of dark princess."

She took her hands out of her pockets, revealing a deck of cards, pulling the first one out – an ace of spades – she focused on it, and it erupted into purple flames. She flicked it away and as it flew through the air it exploded in a series of sparks and smoke.

"When my powers kicked in," she went on. "Two-Face was even more proud of his _little girl._" The words appeared to leave a bad taste in her mouth. "He had always been disappointed when I wasn't a twin, he had a fascination with pairs but my explosive ability meant even more to him. My eagerness to seek his approval had me do whatever he asked of me."

With a deep sigh she turned back to look me in the eye. Her face taken on a haunted look that I knew all too well from looking in the mirror.

"I can't tell you how many security guards my powers hurt or killed, how many bank managers. After about a year Nightwing found me – well, Robin did anyway. He pulled me out of the dark kingdom that I'd realised had become my own personal prison. In payment I began to help him in his missions, joining him and Kid-Flash. When my Father found out of this betrayal he did the only thing left that could hurt me. He killed my mother."

I gaped at her, her sob story making mine look like a Fairy tale. I always knew Gotham could be the darkest most horrible place to live but it wasn't until that moment that I realised how bad some of these heroes had it. Why else would they do what they do?

"I'm… Christ I'm sorry… Duela," my voice cracked in uncertainty. She shrugged my words off.

"Don't apologise, just know that everyone has a past. Some people worse than others, but no one here will judge you for it as long as you attempt to do right by your mistakes." She held out her hand to me. Gingerly, I took it. Duela Dent pulled me up with a crooked grin. "We all know what guilt feels like here."

"Thanks," I said, hoping that she realised that I meant it more than just the help up.

"Whatever don't get used to it. I'm never usually this nice."

I chuckled shaking my head. What a weird couple of hours this has been. "I won't," was all I said as I followed her back into the base. Feeling that maybe, just maybe I fit in here after all.


	15. Chapter 15 - Frustrated

"I found her," Duela announced as she re-entered the consult room. I was grateful for the change, not sure I could face the Laboratory again. Everyone seemed relieved that I'd returned, there were several gratifying sighs that made me feel a little guilty. The Beta's raised their eyebrows at the now de-masked Card Queen but said nothing as she sat down, motioning me with her eyes to sit next to her, like we'd always been best buds.

"Well," Steel spoke, probably not knowing where to pick from. "It – uh – appears that we now have the exact co-ordinates of the lab. Nightwing?"

"Yes," the young leader didn't seem to be phased at all by the recent occurrences and was pure business as he brought up a map of the small country in my memories. "From the sign post we all saw earlier I have figured that the Laboratory both Emily and Sadira were kept ten years ago lies beneath a lake on Ireland's largest River, Shannon."

"_Under _the lake?" Kid-Flash asked, looking a little panicked. I guess a speedster doesn't do too well in confinement.

"So we find the building Emily uh… escaped from in her memories and enter the Lab?" Cassie said frowning. "Seems too easy to me…"

"I did a scout check," as Nightwing spoke the image changed to an aerial view of the area. "That building no longer exists, it appears that our Scientist friends abolished the exists on the main land, including those exits."

"So how the hell are we going to get in?" Conner asked impatiently.

"Remember the guards with Emily saw on what we thought was the other side of the lake?" We nodded. "It was too dark at the time, but as you can see on the map here that's a small island called Inis Clearán" He pronounced it like _clare-awn."_ It's tiny, deserted apart from a few ruined churches no one but an old farmers livestock."

"You're saying that you think the Brains never bothered destroying that entrance to the lab?" I asked, a small smile playing on the corner of my lips. The guy really was a genius.

"The place looks untouched, they wouldn't have been able to destroy it properly without marking the landscape above."

"Great," I stood up from the table. "Let's go."

"Hang on," Batman growled from is otherwise silent seat. "We have no idea what we're up against here, we need everyone with clear heads for this mission."

"But this is what we've been waiting for!" I nearly yelled, I'd be damned if I was to hang around any longer, especially if we knew exactly where to go. "Why wait any longer?"

"You've have just gone through hard, gruelling mental exertion. You need rest. You will take the jet first thing in the morning."

I opened my mouth to protest once more but I was given a stare. No, not just a regular 'no more arguments' stare, a _Batman _'no arguments' stare. In other words, I shut up pretty quickly.

"Meeting adjourned," his gravelly tone muttered and we all stood up. Unable to quite help myself I stormed out of the room, gritting my teeth audibly. I kept walking until I shoved open the doors of the Cinadome. There were punching bags left out – probably for my session this morning that never happened after the Martian showing up. I marched over to them, grabbing the bandages during my beeline. Without having to think about it I wrapped and tied the white fabric tightly around my knuckles. Within moments I was throwing the hardest punch I could at the red bags. I let out a grunt each hit.

At first the bag swung slightly with every contact my fist made with it's warn leather. My wrists ached at the pressure but I ignored them. I realised too late that my anger about what had happened today was only given a loose lid by my new ally Duela Dent. My temper just simmering below the surface. The way Batman just pushed me to the side, forcing me to wait a pitiful twelve hours of being hunted threw that lid off. Not quite understanding why I was so short fused all of a sudden I just allowed it to be channelled into every thrust. I just about heard the double doors opening over the sound of my own grunts. I wanted to groan at who I saw in the corner of my eye, walking towards me.

"Piss off," I called maliciously. Trying to ignore him as he came around to hold the punching bag. It immediately stopped swaying, at the same time as being harder to hit. "I've had enough of you people today, I guessed training was cancelled due to my 'mental exertion'."

"If you don't want to train," Nightwing spoke casually, as if my outburst was nothing. "Then why are you here?"

"I'm blowing off steam," I grunted, feeling sweat forming on my brow. I was already tiring after my sprint a while back.

"I can see that, but I think you've physically exerted yourself enough for today."

"I don't care what you think." I muttered.

"Fine," he sighed. "I'll just wait it out then."

I punched the bag for thirty seconds longer, just to make him see I wasn't stopping because he said so. Stubbornness is not a trait that can be beaten out of you. By then I could do nothing else but slide to the floor, my hands and knees trembling from exhaustion.

"You look like you're going to throw up," he commented, pulling the rail where the bag hung out of the way. He returned and sat cross-legged in front of me.

"I'm ok…" the nausea had passed thank god. I began trying to rip the bandages from my hands but it appeared in my haste and rage I'd tied the knots too tight to loosen with shaky hands.

"You need to give your body and mind a break," he said gazing into my face. I wouldn't meet his eyes, I tried even harder to undo my bounds but they actually appeared to become tighter.

"Yeah well, how else am I supposed to channel my temper? My only other solution is sex and I can't just wait around for guys to kiss me in elevators."

In that moment I wished the ground would just swallow me up. I couldn't believe the words had actually left my brain, let alone come out my mouth. I blushed hugely and tried to use the embarrassment to plough into the bandages once more. When nothing budged I simply groaned and let my face fall into my covered palms.

"Here, let me – " he chuckled, felt his fingers touch mine and I pulled away. He sighed and let them drop. After a brief second I realised how petty I was acting and cautiously held them out to him. He gently began pulling at the frayed material. I only noticed as he undid each knot how delicate and precise his touch could be, then I instantly drove that thought out of my mind. I really needed to get a grip. "I know it's tough… obeying orders. You're not used to having, well, Batman in your life."

"Does it get any easier?" I asked hopefully, my tone made him laugh outright. It was a strange sound, something I doubted was heard that often. Strange but nice.

"No. I still can't stand being told what to do."

"How do you handle it?"

"I just keep saying the same sentence over and over in my head: he's Batman."

I snorted and shook my head, knowing that I'll have to use that one from now on. "Well, aren't you supposed to replace him one day?"

His hands stilled from their work. I could hear his breath catch, he was obviously not asked that question often.

"Sorry," I backpedalled. "You don't have to – "

"It's alright, yeah I was supposed to."

"Not anymore?"

"There was an incident, a long time ago. It made me realise that I'm not built with the same stuff as Batman."

"Don't be stupid, I was told you're the best fighter – "

"It's nothing to do with the fighting," he cut me off. "It was a training incident. I had to take control, not realising that the session was designed to fail. Watching my friends being cut down one by one… I realised I couldn't handle it. I didn't possess that thing Batman has inside him to keep fighting, even when he has nothing left."

I stared at him, a little awestruck. It was a strange feeling, like the man of ice and steel was showing a bit of himself that wasn't cold, hard and worked like a machine. He finished untying my hands in silence, his fingertips brushing mine for that moment too long before I pulled them back. I rubbed them together to get the blood flow moving.

He stood, dusting the sand off his costume and held out a hand. I took it and he pulled me up too.

"You have a text," he blurted, making me blink.

"What?"

"You should take your phone off the public networks," he almost sounded sheepish. "Any simpleton hacker could read them. Anyway, just be sure to be back in time to take off tomorrow and here – " he handed me a tiny black plastic box with a blue button. "If you get into too much heat, we'll come and help."

With that speech that I could make neither head nor tail of he turned and left me standing in the middle of the Cinadome, more than likely wearing a comical expression of astonishment and confusion.

I walked slowly up to my room, trying to figure out what all of that meant. If we actually, maybe connected back there when I reached under my pillow for my phone. I did indeed have a message, a message that had my stomach drop.

_Meetings set for tonight,_

_Where'll I pick you up?_

_J._


	16. Chapter 16 - Infiltrated

_Come on Jay… _I thought shivering. It was almost midnight, meaning that I had approximately six hours to go to this meeting, listen in on anything to do with me and get back to Happy Harbour to catch the jet to the laboratory I was supposedly created in. All without getting caught and/or killed.

Fun-packed night for all I'm afraid.

I glanced up as a black shadow crossed the beam of light from the overhead street lamp; my only light source on the deserted street. A powerful gust of wind blew past me as he landed on the uneven tarmac. His sandy hair wind swept, his cheeks flushed from the miles he flew. Adjusting the leather jacket on his shoulders he grinned at me.

"Metropolis eh?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "Never pictured that the league would plant their runts so close to where the big man circulates."

"I'm currently living in the presence several Zeta Tubes. You don't think that I was transported here from anywhere in the states?" His grin faltered at this thought. "So, are we going to get going or not?"

"Sure, you ready to fly?" He was always quick to compose himself and held out his arms to me with a seductive smile. I glared at him and stepped forward into the embrace turning my back on him as his strong arms wrapped around my waist. The forced air whipped the dried leaves and dust around us as his wings pushed downwards, hauling us a few feet in the air before we rose a couple hundred in a matter of seconds. I held my breath as I always did on these take-offs. The cold air biting against my face as we left the concrete forest of Metropolis in our wake. I felt more than heard his chuckle through my back.

"Still a nervous Flyer Effie?" He said, his breath brushing my ear. "I thought by now our little outings wouldn't scare you."

"Just shut up and focus on not dropping me ok?" I hissed back at him, breaking eye contact with the shrinking city. Looking down would do nothing for the acrobatics of my stomach at that moment.

The rest of the trip was silent thankfully, Jay knew that I wouldn't hold a conversation leading into a mission, I had to stay focused. I probably should have paid more attention to what direction we were heading in case I ever wanted to find the triads secret meetings again but to be honest I was much more preoccupied with my air-sickness. Plus, the Triad were hardly going to use the same place twice.

It was about two and a half hours when we began to make our decent. I took a few deep breaths to allow my floating stomach to settle. I was grateful to say the least when my boots finally touched down on solid ground. With a sigh I glanced around.

We were far from any of the major cities, that much I could tell. There weren't many street lights and from what I could see from them we were out in the barren regions of route forty-six. Nothing but sand and weathered rock for miles. The sun had gone down about an our ago and the only other light source was a crescent moon shining in the south-west. I stepped out of Jackdaw's arms and glanced behind us. From the outside it appeared to be about twenty blocks of deserted storage units. But from years of these gigs you soon learn that what appears to be is never the same as the reality.

"Come on," Jackdaw muttered, touching my elbow. I nodded and followed him around the side of the building where a smaller iron door sat. There was a short queue leading through it. We joined the line and waited as it moved inside. Once stepping through the threshold a stocky bald man thrust a small black bundle into my arms. Not wanting to draw attention to myself I walked well out of earshot before turning a questioning glance at Jay.

"Uniforms," he answered my silent question. "Security needs to look all the same."

"Oh." I guess it did make sense. "So, what was with the lack of shown? I mean, anyone could just stroll in and handed the gear."

"Well, technically this meeting doesn't even exist, no one outside the Warlord's circles are supposed to know it's going on. And as for any human stragglers – the bald guy can smell a mutant from a mile off. Literally. Not their powers or anything - " he added when my expression turned to panic. "Just whether or not their one of us or human." I nodded again and glanced around to see a few of the others stripping to get changed into their new attire. "Come on."

He gripped my elbow again and led me around the corner of the main corridor. Fluidly he slipped off his jeans and pulled on the new ones that were just handed to him, black jeans and were looser than skinny jeans yet tight enough that you could see a great view from behind –

I looked away hurriedly.

"My, my," Jackdaw chuckled darkly. "You're blushing Miss Fairburn."

"Shut up," I muttered and began to unfold my own clothing bundle. It was only in that moment that I realised how much smaller it was to his. "You've got to be kidding me!"

I stared, open mouthed at the tiny pieces of fabric in my hands. Black leather hot pants without a glimpse of tights to wear with them and a slim fitted low-necked tank top. Emphasis on the 'low-necked'. Jackdaw snorted, he was obviously enjoying my reactions to everything tonight.

"Not surprising," he said with a shrug that made me want to punch him. "You know the Warlord's tastes, I mean not even Natalia is that interested in looking at her male body-guards. Hurry up and get changed."

"Fine," I spoke through my teeth. Hating the bastards in charge of the crime underworld even more if possible. "Just… turn around."

"Oh please, it's not like I haven't seen it all before – "

"_Turn around Jay!"_

He sighed. "Alright, calm down."

I shrugged into the black attire and by shrugged I mean 'squeezed into'. The tops were obviously not made for girls with cup size double Ds but as I shifted uncomfortably with my cleavage clearly on show I thought that was maybe the precise point of them. Jackdaw seemed to appreciate the view however by the look of his expression. As he led the way down the maze of hallways he cleared his throat audibly.

"So," I groaned internally, when he started a conversation like this it was never mission themed. "Maybe after we get the information here we could grab a drink in one of those deserted bars you like so much, you know for old time sake?"

'Old time sake' usually led to his place after the bar and then to me staying the night. I forced down the blush at the memories and shook my head.

"Not this time Jay." I said avoiding looking at him.

"Why not? You always need to unwind after a mission," he slowed his pace and I felt his fingertips blush my collarbone. "And I was always great at doing that."

I shrugged off his touch, making him frown. "I can't tonight Jay, just drop it."

The frown then turned to a scowl. "I see, you spend a few weeks on the other side of the fence and suddenly you're too good for me?"

I sighed, wishing I was anywhere else, having any other conversation with any other person. "It's not that, you know I'm not like that." How was I going to get around this without telling him about my other mission?

"Then what is it then? The only other explanation is that you've found someone else to fool around with – " he broke off. I really didn't mean to, I thought I had the blushing thing under control but before I could stop myself my thoughts flitted to Nightwing and the elevator and heat rose to my face. "Oh no. Please don't tell me."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I muttered and kept walking forward even though I wasn't exactly sure where I was heading. Not that it mattered though as he grabbed my arm and spun me around.

"No wonder he was being a bigger dick than usual at my place…" his words were laced with anger. "I'd never seen him be that vocal before…"

"Please, Jay, just leave it alone!"

"Don't 'please Jay' me. What are you thinking? Nightwing? Are you serious, Batman's _lapdog?_" The questions were thrown at me, making me flinch.

"What I do when I'm not around you is none of your business!" I hissed back at him, pulling my arm roughly from his grasp.

"To hell it isn't! You don't even know him!"

"I know him as much as I knew you when we started… whatever you want to call it!"

"Oh yeah? What's his name, Fraya?"

I pressed my lips together, hoping that the angry look I was giving him would shut him up.

"Oh, of course you can't tell me but we both know that you have about as much of an inkling into Nightwing's secret identity than I have. That guy trusts _no one._ How are you supposed to have anything with him if he doesn't trust you?"

We glowered at each other for what felt like eternity but one a few minutes. Finally, I broke the gaze by looking to the floor. I couldn't think about this now, I was on a mission.

"This conversation is getting us nowhere," I said in such a dark tone that I knew he wouldn't argue. "We have a mission to complete so shut up and let's get on with it."

With a heated sigh I heard a barely audible 'fine' before he turned and walked at such a brisk pace that I had to jog to keep up. We took a hard left and after walking through three doorways I began to hear it, a faint mummer of conversation, many, many conversations. I could see the double doors ahead of the other security bodies. I counted thirty-six not including myself or Jay. I even recognised one or two of the guys from past jobs, one of them glanced back – almost like he felt like he was being watched. I looked down hurriedly wondering if this mission was a good idea after all.

So softly, that I barely felt it at first, something was pressed into my hand, I peered down to see a baseball cap, not much, but enough to hide my hair and eyes – my most memorable features.

"Thank-you," I breathed, to Jackdaw in front of me, leaning close so he could hear me. He stiffened but didn't answer. I sighed internally, wondering if I was ever going to get another favour out of him after this.

I glanced at my watch, it was half-past three already. I had two and a half hours at least to get this information, get out and get home. All without getting shot and killed. Wait, did I just call Happy Harbour _home?_

I didn't have any more time to think about that however as the queue began marching forward. I threw the hat on, shoving as much of my thick hair up into it as possible. I tilted my head forward at such an angle that a shadow fell over my face. Feeling as comfortable as I could possibly get I trudged on through the main entrance of the Warlord Triad Meeting. Meeting the buzzing noise head on.

_Here we go… _


	17. Chapter 17 - Chased

Well, I was right about one thing: this place was no deserted block of storage units. The units had obviously been removed years ago, walls knocked down to reveal a huge consult room. Our double doors had led to a small, railed balcony about five feet in diameter. It gave the perfect overview of the meeting, prime position to see any intruders on the bottom floor. At the far end of the hall was a large table that seated six guests. Three of these were dressed in scarlet and black robes, the shoulders of these sloped into a point – the Triad. There seconds in command sat next to them, to their right of course, their black robes and hoods cloaking their faces in shadow. _That's what I really need… _I thought sourly.

In front of the master table were three smaller yet longer tables where goons, henchmen and associates of each of the Triad sat. I could already see the uneasy glances pass between the tables. The Warlord's rarely got on, but civility amongst the henchmen? Unheard of. Fortunately their Lords would keep them in line, for now.

Matching the stances, strides and body language of Jay and the other real guards I began travelling around the balcony in an anti-clockwise direction, all the while listening in on anything below. I would have loved to have absorbed Jay's heightened hearing but I guessed that growing wings at that moment might break the whole undercover thing. Instead I sighed quietly and waited impatiently for the meeting to begin. After twenty-three minutes and six and a half laps of the consul room the crowds were finally shushed into silence. The Triad stood, and I held my breath, the silence so smothering it felt even a small inhalation of air would break it.

"Welcome," Natalia spoke first. Her striped black and pink Mohawk clashed harshly with her robes, the piercings in her eyebrows, lips, nose and cheek flashed in the light as she spoke. "Fellow villains of the north east. It's good to see all of your faces before me. Especially my dear associates from Central City." Natalia's crowd cheered but she silenced them quickly with a raised palm. "As most of you are aware Lord Slade from the Gotham and Bludhaven territory holds important information on a threat that may affect us all."

She turned to Slade, stocky and grey but I doubt anyone would be brave enough to admit he was old Slade stood a good foot taller than the petite Natalia. His hair shaved in a buzz cut hinting to his military allegiance long ago. The deep ridges of scars on the right side of his face hid mostly by a threatening eye-patch. Slade was terrifying – I'll give him that.

"Lord Natalia is right," he exclaimed in a deep voice that echoed through the hall. "What I'm about to share with you all is strictly confidential, I'm sure there will not be even a rumour that it has left this room." During his opening lines I was positive that everyone noticed his hand gripping the hilt of his blade tightly. He paused, making me stop and lean slightly against the rail. The suspense of his pause causing my heart to race in my chest. "There is a mutant that lived in my territory," he announced. "Who could absorb the powers of others, taking as many abilities as she wants for as long as she wants."

There was a mumble at the announcement, from the looks of some of Natalia's goons they didn't appear that impressed. But it was Captain Boomerang that answered him.

"Really, Slade," he sighed, the bored undertone radiating from his words. "_This _is the intel that you drag us all here for? We've seen mutant absorbers before! Parasite, Black Alice –"

Slade's next words were through his teeth. "Yes I know that Boomer. But there's something different about her I'm telling you."

"The Capt has a point," Natalia interjected. "What makes her different Slade?"

There was a short pause where Slade stared down at the table, finally he looked up, frustration strong in his features.

"I'm not sure yet…"

A chorus of arguments erupted at the tables. Henchmen stood up, screaming at the other tables calling Slade out on wasting their time and resources to set up this meeting. Slade's men racing to defend their master with such vigour that fists were drawn, I glanced at my fellow guards, wondering if it was our job to intercede. A few men raised their guns, ready to protect the Triad itself or perhaps break-up the fight if it prolonged the meeting, other than that though we were supposed to be unmoved.

"_Enough!_" The Capt. finally bellowed bringing the room back into order, everyone sat back down bar Slade. "I'm sure Slade did not drag us out here to waste our time, I was purely pointing our my suspicions, please continue Lord Slade." He nodded, turning his attention back on the crowds.

"The reasoning behind my assumptions is the fact that I was visited by an executive of the Department of Defence last week. He told me that they – the humans – are looking for the absorber too."

"Did the say why?" Capt's eyes narrowed at the sudden development.

"No. Just that they wanted her alive and put a price on her capture."

"Why the hell didn't you beat more information out of the executive?" Natalia demanded.

"Because…" he rounded on her, his voice crisp against the dead silence. There was a groan of metal hinges and two goons carried in a large bundle of white cloth. The tossed it on the table in front of the Triad. Slowly, Slade undid the fabric revealing a dead Henchman, dried blood stains emitted from his ears and eyes. "The executive spoke 'through' one of my men."

A series of gasping ensued and hushed whispers. Both Natalia and Captain Boomerang were dumbstruck.

The Captain was first to recover. "Impossible, humans cannot _bend _the will of others. If they had the ability to channel a mutant's mind control abilities –"

"I don't think they channelled it," Slade said and reached into his pocket. I narrowed my eyes to get a glimpse at what he withdrew. It appeared to be a tiny blue card.

"A microchip?" Natalie asked frowning.

"We found it on the inside of his temple," Slade informed. "It appears that the humans have created something that controls the electrical impulses and messages to and from the brain but luckily, the devices aren't stable."

"How is that?" Natalia asked.

"Before the executive could fully complete his message the host seemed to reject the device, leading to a stroke and death in about thirty seconds."

"Then it is obvious what we must do," Natalia's tone turned business-like. "We leave the absorber for now and focus our resources on destroying whatever lab is creating these devices."

I almost smiled. Maybe the Triad aren't so bad after all…

"_No._" Slade slammed his palm on the table. Well, there goes that hope. "We must find the girl!"

"But the humans – "

"Need her." He cut over her. "Before he died, my man came back to himself for those thirty seconds. He said one sentence over and over: _the absorber's the key, they need her._ They haven't got the chip functioning correctly yet. Now that we know about it we can be on our guard but for now we _must _find the girl before they do and use her for god knows what!"

Needless to say, that caused controversy. Everyone stood once more bickering, attempting to put forward their own opinions by trying to be the louder voice.

I was so involved in what was going on below I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking. So naturally, on the narrow ledge I soon stepped face first into wall of muscle, my cap pushed upwards on the impact and fell off.

"Hey watch where you're – " the guard started gruffly but did a double take. "Wait a minute… don't I know you?"

I locked our eye contact. "You don't recognise me, you've never seen me before, you're just going to ignore me now and go back to work, business as usual." I tried to keep my voice calm over the ringing in my ears from all this new information.

"Yeah… business as… usual…" he murmured and turned away from me. I sighed in relief and turned back to the chaos below only to catch a glimpse of Slade's second in command whispering in his ear. With a smirk and a nod he stood up, pulled a gun from his breast pocket and fired a shot into the air. The deafening bang silenced everyone once more. Thinking that he was to give more intel, it surprised not only me that he turned to Natalia with a conversational smile – well as conversational as you can get coming from a man with a scarred face and eye-patch.

"Natalia," he spoke good-naturally making her blink in confusion. "Have you met my new right-hand man Hart Druiter?"

"Um… no?" She answered uncertainly.

"Well Hart here has the ability to sense other mutants when they activate their powers within his range. It appears that he may have prevented us a lot of work."

Oh no.

"Thank-you Miss Fairburn, for making our job so much easier." He scanned the balcony before making direct eye contact, I hadn't even the chance to put my cap back on.

Oh dear.

"Shit!" "Get her!" Slade and I spoke over each other as I turned to run.

There were three guards between myself and the exit, easily dispensed over the rails and down into the crowd below. In the corner of my eye I saw Jackdaw getting rid of his obstacles too. I hauled open the steel doors and darted down the main corridor, him at my heels. He soon pushed past me however and grabbed my hand so to lead me out of the building. We'd thrown ourselves down two flights of stairs when a crash echoed, as if heavy doors were thrown open followed by a chorus of gunshots, bullet holes appearing directly in front of us. Great, automatics.

"This way," Jackdaw panted, spinning around and vaulting back up the steps. After sprinting back up another four flights he darted into a door on the left.

Slipping through a room that had us dodge a multitude of chairs to get out the opposite side. Ramming his weight against the locked exit forced it open with a crash. The second we stepped out, we froze.

"Or… perhaps not this way," Jackdaw muttered as we faced twenty of the Triads goons, guns pointed directly at our chest. I wanted to laugh at the irony. Usually the three groups couldn't agree on anything but the second they had a similar enemy; they were a ruthless team.

"_Spilt!_" I screamed and we leapt in opposite directions just as the shots rang out.

"Don't shoot the girl!" I could hear Slade's orders bellow over their comm. units. "She must be taken in alive!"

His orders distracted them for those precious seconds that we could bolt back out the way we came. I slammed the wrecked door behind us and Jay pushed a few dozen chairs to seal it. We could hear the banging and gunshots as they tried to get through to us. Luckily the doors were built with thick enough metal that the bullets couldn't penetrate. We did the same to the opposite door, though I could see our barricades already shuddering as the enemy attempted to force their way in.

"What – " I stammered, completely out of breath. " – now?"

"Only one way out it seems," Jay threw me a lob-sided grin and indicated upwards. I followed his eye line to a small sky light in the roof.

"Oh no," I said shaking my head. "It's too small a gap Jay!"

"You got any better ideas?"

I glared at our supposed only exit, hearing the creaking of protesting metal from both fronts, they were nearly through to us.

"Fine, give me a boost."

He didn't need to be told twice, the room was too small to spread his own wings to get to it. Coming towards me he crouched on one knee and laced his fingers together: the perfect footstep. Without any effort he hoisted me up to the roof window.

"I need something sharp or heavy!" I said after assessing the density of the glass. Reaching down, I felt Jay place the broken leg of a chair into my hand. Sharp it is then. Putting as much force as I could muster behind it I thrust the broken edge of metal upwards, creating a small spider-webbed crack. Hitting the same spot a further four times force my hand straight through the window, the edges slicing into my knuckles and wrist. I barely felt it though as I broke the rest of the glass to that I could pull myself through to the roof. Turning on my knees I reached my good arm down.

"Grab on!" I called down to Jackdaw. Standing on another chair he was just about able to hold my wrist. With a grunt I hauled him up enough for him to grab onto the edge himself. Just as he had got a firm grip there was a loud crash and more gunfire. Jay cried out and I threw my arms back down to help him out. He only just fit through with his wings. As we rolled out of the way of the ascending bullets I noticed one of them was bleeding.

"Crap," I launched myself over to him. He was lying on his back, the black feathers slightly extended. "You're hit."

"Ah," he said with a tight smile. "That's what the excruciating pain was."

I couldn't summon the strength to snap at him. "Are you able to fly?"

From below, I could hear more goons bursting through the doors on the ground level and begin firing in our general direction.

Jackdaw sighed and gingerly stood, blood glistened in the moonlight of his dark feathers. "I'm going to have to be," he said. He extended them and visibly flinched. "Not sure how long I can do it, though."

I nodded and stepped towards him. My arms stretched around his neck so that he wouldn't have to take my full weight on his arms. I felt the ground go from beneath my feet. Bangs echoed but fortunately no one reached us. We let the Triad shrink below us and I silently prayed we could get a few hundred miles between us before crash landing.


	18. Chapter 18 - Healed

And crash we did. About an hour of tense and silent flying my stomach dropping indicated our loss in altitude.

"Jay?" I said into his ear. "How you holding up?"

"I'm afraid…" he said weakly. The pain in his voice scaring me. "You're going to have to brace yourself Effie." I dared a glance back and immediately wished I hadn't. The ground seemed to be rising up to meet us at an alarming speed.

"Jay!" I yelled, his eyes were closed. I tapped him relatively gently across his cheek making him stir. "Open up your wings – just one more time, you need to slow us down a bit." He groaned but did as I asked. He turned slightly in the air, his wings folding forward so that they wrapped around me.

Jay hit the ground first, his back colliding with the earth, the impact threw me from his embrace and I tumbled several times before landing facedown into the dirt.

Slowly, I pushed myself up onto my elbows and saw that my bare skin was covered in cuts and bruises. Hauling myself to my knees I crawled over to where Jackdaw lay, a good ten metres from where I landed. I checked his pulse, letting out a sigh of relief when it throbbed strongly underneath my fingers. Praying that he was totally unconscious, I shifted my attention to his injured wing. Blood streaked down it, the wound itself a crimson mess. Worse still, I could see the bullet lodged in the muscle tissue, making me want to gag. I couldn't take it out myself – I was covered in dirt and would only make things worse if the wound got infected.

Without even thinking about it my hand reached into my bra – the Triad's security outfits having zero pockets – and pulled out the device Nightwing gave me. I hated to admit it but I needed them. Who knows how long I had before the Triad caught up to me. With shaking hands I pressed and held the small blue button. Immediately, it started flashing, casting a bluish hue over my pale skin. With nothing left to do I sat beside the injured Jackdaw, bringing my knees towards my chest and waited.

It didn't take them too long to find me. An hour? Maybe less. Enough time for me to watch the sun wash away the seemingly impenetrable darkness of night in the barren wasteland. It's light streaked across the sky in bright orange and scarlet.

I had closed my eyes momentarily, the wariness of the night's events washing over me. I opened them when I felt the wind pick up along with the familiar hum of a jet's engine. I stood up stiffly, my joints complaining that I'd been in the same position for so long. I had taken a few hesitant steps towards the machine before the steps descended and the team filed out.

Nightwing was the first to reach me, gripping my forearms he tried to read my expression. I stared back in a dazed sort of way, maybe I was concussed again.

"Fraya," his voice was stern but I could hear the strain behind his clenched jaw. "You're covered in blood."

I glanced down at myself. The cuts on my wrists had allowed the blood to flood down as far as my elbow, looking strangely like a scarlet glove. There were also spatters over my left shoulder and even more down my back, more than likely from Jackdaw throwing his injured wing around me. I took a deep breath to try and ease my stomach.

"Most of it isn't mine," I said to try and ease his worried expression. It didn't appear to work so I hurried on. "Jackdaw was shot in our escape. He couldn't fly us very far – the bullet's still in his wing, I didn't want to touch it encase I made things worse."

I watched Cassie fly past us kneeling next to Jay and assessing what I'd just described. Conner followed her and between them they easily took his weight, each holding an arm over their shoulders and carrying him back towards the jet without disturbing his injury. I scanned for the other team members.

"Where's Kid Flash and Card Queen?" I asked, frowning.

"Card Queen is monitoring the comms unit. We weren't sure what could have been waiting for us when we got your call and she may have had to call for back up." I nodded, his words making sense. "And K.F. is getting everything sorted for the mission overseas."

The mission. In all the chaos I'd completely forgotten. As we boarded the jet I glanced at the digital clock amongst the controls.

"Damn…" I groaned. All eyes turned to me, thinking I was hurt. I shrugged off there worried stares. "I can't believe I'm late."

Cassie and Conner smiled, Nightwing muttered something under his breath, I swear I caught a curse word. He led me to the back of the jet and sat me down in one of the extra seats.

"Superboy?" He called behind him. Conner nodded and came towards me, his hand stretched out for me to take. I eyed it longingly.

"I can't," was what came out of my mouth. Cursing my stupidity at getting cut.

"What do you mean?" Conner asked.

I glanced down at my sliced wrist and did a quick internal check. "This isn't a concussion or a broken bone. I've lost too much blood and don't have the energy to absorb."

"I didn't realise blood loss could affect your powers," Cassie remarked from Jayckdaw's side. She had a set of pliers in her hand which I immediately looked away from.

"My blood is what allows another person's powers to replicate inside my body. It's like it creates blood cells mirroring that of your DNA." I sighed at their confused expressions. "Just trust me. I need the bleeding to stop up and given some time before I could hope to absorb."

"Alright," Conner said shrugging, he turned and went back to the ships controls. Nightwing brought me through a portal in the back of the jet and into what looked like a small medical room. I sat up on the doctor cot as he reached up towards another first aid kit. The room was so small I doubted Jackdaw's wing span would ever fit inside. The fact that we were alone in the space was a little disconcerting though. He started taking supplies out and gently placed my maimed hand on a trolley between us.

"Go on," I sighed, watching as he obviously avoided my gaze.

"Go on what?"

"I'll give you a free pass to say it."

"Say what?" He played the dumb card again but I saw his mouth quirk up at one side.

"The I told you so? The whole 'working as a team keeps us all safe' speech?"

"It seems you don't need me to say anything, you've already put the words in my mouth."

"Whatever," I said absently. He began dabbing the wounds with antiseptic but I couldn't summon the energy to complain as it stung like hell. "Sorry for holding up the mission." The apology was out of my mouth before I had even thought it through. His hands stilled on his work.

"Was it worth it?" Was all he asked and continued cleaning the wound.

"Yes." I launched into telling him everything we heard during the meeting. His eyes never left my wrist and he didn't butt-in even once. It was one of the things I enjoyed about his company. His steady silence was calming once you got used to it. "We made it a few hundred miles before crash landing," I finished the story. He finally looked up at me.

"Interesting… there's still a piece missing though."

"I know… what the hell is my part in of this?"

"Hopefully we'll find these answers in Ireland. Then we can turn our attention on these microchips." He began rifling through the first aid again.

"Yeah, humans controlling _us_. Not my idea of a good time." He pulled out a small packet, opening it a sterilised needle fell into his gloved hand. My stomach sank.

"What?" He asked. I had obviously paled.

"Can't you just… I dunno – wrap a tight bandage around me or something?"

He frowned. "The wound is too deep, I thought you said we needed to stop the bleeding before you can absorb Conner's healing abilities."

"I did… I just didn't realise it would involve…" I eyed the menacing equipment as he filled it with antiseptic. To my surprise, he chuckled.

"The great Fraya Fairburn, wanted by villain's and humans alike, ability to replicate any mutants abilities is afraid of _needles?_"

"Hey!" I blushed. "I'm not afraid of them! I'm just… not comfortable when they pierce _my _skin."

"Just focus on something else."

"Oh yeah like what?"

He stood up then, pushing my legs apart so he could get closer. I could only watch as he bent to close the distance between us. I figured he meant to brush his lips softly against mine, but at our contact the intention vanished. The force of his kiss pressed me up against the wall, my good arm snaked around his neck, gripping his hair to pull him closer. I only barely felt a sting on the inside of my elbow, the feeling disappeared too as his hands took a firmer and lower grip of my hips –

The sound of the portal handle opening had us spring apart. My gaze turned away from him and he went back to rummaging through the damn torture – I mean _medical_ kit.

Cassie stepped in, not seeming to notice anything unusual. She grabbed an armful of bandages out of the drawer.

"What are those for?" I asked, trying to bring my breathing back to a normal rhythm. I felt a slight tug on the skin at my wrist and tried not to think about it – the pain wasn't there.

"I took the bullet out of Jackdaw's wing, he'll need a few stiches but I have to make sure he won't spread it and pull them out. It'll need to be strapped tightly to his back so he won't be tempted to stretch." The thought of Jay prancing about with only one wing was comical enough for me to snort out loud. "Are you ok?" She went on, obviously noticing something off about me.

My grin flat lined. "What do you mean?"

"You're quite… flushed. You coming down with a fever?"

"I… uh…" my brain seemed to short circuit. I couldn't come up with a decent lie to cover the fact that I'd been in the heat of a make-out session moments before.

"She's fine," Nightwing saved the day. Oh, the irony in that sentence. "Just admitted to me her fear of needles."

"Oh!" Cassie smirked, making me blush even more. With a shrug she left the room. Leaving me alone with him, again.

"There," with a snip of scissors I glanced down to see a neat rom of stiches. "All done."

"Thanks," I didn't really know which 'job' I was thanking him for, the treatment or the 'distraction'. I stood up from the cot and wobbled, lightheaded from being suddenly vertical. Nightwing steadied me, strong hands gripping waist. The gesture was so like what we'd been doing previously that I turned away. Awkwardly holding myself steady by placing both hands on the cot and staring out the small window of the jet.

"Do we…" Nightwing broke the heavy silence. "Need to uh… talk about this?"

Whatever I thought he was going to say, it wasn't this. Dumbstruck I could only answer: "Talk about what?"

The tiniest of pink blotches appeared on the Boy Wonder's cheek bones. Had I not lost so much blood I probably would have laughed.

"I dunno… this… _thing _between us?"

I studied him for a moment. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I – " He let out a harsh breath, running his hand through his hair and looking quite frustrated. "I don't know. I'm not used to this."

"Used to… what _girls?_" Ok, I'll admit I was teasing him slightly. Maybe because Batman's ex-side-kick was rarely teasable. Maybe to cover the fact that I had no clue how to answer his question.

"No…" he really didn't appreciate the teasing. "My past experiences… I'd known the girls for years and even then it wasn't a big thing, just slowly growing from teammate to friend to… more."

"And that's different to us because…?" Man was I stalling.

"Because we're moving so fast I can barely think straight!" His exasperation flooding as fast as the words spilled from his mouth.

Slowly, as if any faster movements would scare him I stepped towards him, keeping my eyes directed downwards.

"I've never…" I started but decided to take a different approach. "I mean, I don't… date."

"You don't?" I could hear the confusion in his voice.

"Not… really." I could feel my face warming at the lack of clarity.

"But what about Jackdaw?"

I snorted, trying to imagine _dating_ the winged bounty hunter. "Jay and I fooled around, passed the time on missions but I never _ever _said that we were together, like, my boyfriend." The last word actually made me cringe.

"Oh…" I peeked up at him. His expression seemed caught between relieved and confused.

"Yeah."

"So… why didn't you ever make it official?"

"I –" this conversation was something I'd never planned on having with anyone. The fact that I never dated was due to the fact that I always felt like I didn't deserve anyone else in my life other than Sadira. I had decided a long time ago to dedicate my life, _live it_ for her and dating would never benefit her. I couldn't tell him this though, so I opted for a half truth, the more reasonable non-emotional reason for not having anyone in my life bar a friend with benefits. "It was never practical, with Sadira at home and going to school and then my job at nights." I shrugged off my evasive answer.

He nodded, seemingly to buy it. I thought I was in the clear until he swallowed audibly. "And, now that we all live under the same roof?"

I looked down again, trying to scramble for something – anything to say. Bide myself more time. Almost absently I lifted my hand to brush my fingertips against his. The small contact giving me tingles all the way up my arm. Boy was I in trouble.

"Can we just, I don't know, not think about it yet? Just take it day by day and go with the flow?"

His next silence felt like a weight was pulling my insides down into my toes. I tried to keep my breath regular. What the hell was wrong with me?

He took my raised hand, lacing our fingers before rubbing circles into my palm with his thumb.

"Sure," he gave me a quick smile. "That sounds –"

There was a crash, cutting him off and had me pull my hand from his. The whole conversation immediately forgotten I pulled open the portal of our private room and stepped into the main cock pit of the jet. Jackdaw was awake and looked panicked by the unknown surroundings. One black wing was extended, the other taped awkwardly to his shoulder blade. He had taken a fighting stance towards Cassie and Conner who were staring at him warily.

"Jay," I spoke slowly, feeling like I was approaching a spooked horse – more accurately, a Pegasus. "Take it easy."

After taking in my form he appeared to blink a few times and shook his head. "Fraya? What's going on?"

"We're in the Beta League's jet. After you collapsed I had to call them encase the Triad caught up to us."

I reached him then and gripped his arm, using the contact to direct him back to one of the seats. He went with it, seeming to have lost all the energy he had before. He raised a skinned hand to his head.

"I don't remember landing," he admitted, frustrated.

"You were pretty out of it."

"Did you patch up my wing?"

I shook my head. "That was all Wonder Girl, I was… preoccupied."

He opened his eyes and glanced at Cassie, giving her a curt nod when she met his gaze.

"Thanks," the word came out brusquely before those keen eyes landed on my wrist. "You're hurt."

"It's nothing," I shrugged nonchalantly. "Just the cut I got from the glass, I'll be fine once I get enough energy to absorb." He reached out to trail his finger along the new stitches, I pulled my arm back from him uncomfortably. Feeling my spine stiffening despite my best attempts at trying not to be awkward. Jay's gaze caught something or I guess someone standing behind me and I saw his eyes spark angrily. I sighed internally.

"Bet you're wishing we'd gone for that drink now Effie," he said, obviously trying to get a rise out of me. I opened my mouth to chew him out of it before Superboy's voice called from the nose wheel.

"We're back in Gotham!"

I glanced out through the front window, watching as we landed before the colourful forms Kid-Flash and Card Queen. Next to them were suitcases full of supplies I guessed for our trip.

It was quite amusing that the last few hours were the easier part of our mission.


End file.
